Zoids Neo Slash Zero: Believe
by Kegger007
Summary: CHAPTER 7 UP! Another war between Guylos and Helic. The Blitz team has been disbanded. What will happen when something beyond man's comprehension occurs. Something will awake, but is this good? Slight AU, review yo!
1. Prayer

Zoids Neo Slash Zero

Prologue: Prayer

Author notes: Okay, this will be my first multi-chapter fic that I'll be writing on my own, I hope I can live up to the strain of writing a long fic, and I promise to try to meet deadlines in a timely manner. This fic will be different than most of what you read, so try to enjoy. This is the prologue to set the stage for the rest of the story. READ AND REVIEW PEEPS!

* * *

The message had blared across open speakers, beaming to all receivers around planet Zi, bringing its message into the homes of every citizen who had access to electricity. War. War had arrived after a peace lasting barely two hundred years. The bicentennial cease-fire had finally ended with the straw that broke the camel's back; the destruction of Hammerhead Flight 242 from a Guygalos peace conference headed for New Helic City. The news had spread fast. A squad of Raynos in Republican colours apparently appeared from above the stratosphere and quickly dispatched the Hammerhead's engines while it crossed the Deldaros Ocean. Whether or not the pilots were under orders from President Gartland has yet to be determined, but the actions taken after the incident were swift and decisive. Emperor Irmand ordered that all troops cut off supplies to the small Republican communities that had been built along Imperial borders on the Western Continent. Outraged, President Gartland delivered an ultimatum, dictating that either the Emperor release the cities from captivity, or face severe consequences. Guygalos' reply was the swift destruction of Hearthland, a small community that had been applying for independence from the Helic Republic under the ZBC's Changing Borders Act.

Incidents began to snowball from there. Both countries pulled their funding from maintaining the ZBC's Neutral Zone and pumped it back into their war machines, reviving old factories and drawing up new schematics. Designs were refined, workers were hired, prototypes built, and soldiers drafted. Training began and all soldiers soon came to know the harsh realities of military life: waking up at the crack of dawn, the non-stop training and exercise, and the intense, intricate battlefield skills that they would need to acquire if they were to win the war for their respective countries. It was the calm before the storm that lulled many into a false sense of security. Many thought that the problem would soon blow over, that the governments would soon resolve their differences. Many believed, many _hoped_, that this was simply another false war, such as the many that had happened between the Helic Republic and Guylos Empire during the Golden Years of Peace. They were horribly wrong.

The silence was shattered when Zanazos, a medium sized city on an island off the coast of the Central Continent only three hundred kilometers from New Helic City, was brutally torn apart by a new, improved Gravity Cannon. Guygalos had discovered the old plans it had for the original Gravity Cannon and had modified them to make a larger, more mobile platform that allowed them to mount it to either navy ships or incredibly large land units. The beam all but leveled Zanazos, atomizing most of what it touched and shattering all it didn't with the shockwave of its passing. Nothing remains of the island, save a broken pile of rubble and the jungle that was beginning to reclaim the area where the city lay a graveyard.

In response, Helic troops soon found themselves on boats headed across the Deldaros Ocean, intent on remedying the bloody nose they had received at the hands of the Guylos Empire. On the morning after the attack on Zanazos over fifty Republic Cannon Tortoises shelled Golgylos, the third largest city on the Western Continent. The attack occurred before dawn, allowing little time for defenders to jump to the ready. The roar of Heavy Republic Mortar cannons filled the darkness, screaming the fierce vengeance straight from New Helic City. None managed to get to their Zoids; all hangers had collapsed on the soldiers inside, killing them instantly. Fires soon burned uncontrollably throughout the city, burning many districts to the ground. Soon, nothing was left of one of the proudest cities in Guylos, save for a pile of rubble and a lone, bloody Republic marker, tome to the destruction soon to be waged between the two nations.

That had been over a year ago.

* * *

He had received the letter he had been dreading. 'Bit Cloud, you have been drafted. Report to the Recruitment Base in Romeo City to begin your new career as a soldier for the Helic Army!'. Why did this have to happen now? He hadn't wanted to get involved with the conflict between the two warring nations. It had been only yesterday that he had been planning his strategy to win the Grand Prix Battle for Class S pilots. It was scheduled four years after he and the Blitz team had managed to barely win the Royal Cup Tournament, edging out Vega Obscura in a nail biting finish atop the wrecked Ultrasaurus that had been the finish line.

Another dream that will never come true   
Just to compliment your sorrow

He had been planning to ask Leena to marry him after they won the Grand Prix. They had been living together for two years, having begun a relationship after Bit had professed his feelings for her over three years ago, shortly after the Royal Cup. The war had worried them, but so long as they remained in the neutral zone between the two countries, they weren't worried. The Blitz team had made so much money during their rise to the top of Class S that they found they didn't need to battle on a consistent basis, so they only fought whenever someone challenged their crown as Class S leaders.

But now it looks like I'm off to war.

He walked away from the mailbox, contemplating how he was going to break the news to Leena.

I'd rather face Vega's Charged Particle Beam again.

* * *

"Jamie Hermeros, reporting for duty," said a young man with spiky black hair and expressive, but intelligent looking brown eyes. He wore the uniform of a Helic Military analyst, the rank of Ensign emblazoned on his upper arm below the outstretched eagle of the Helic Republic's symbol, the words _'Draask Unthe Teramis Abludor'_ written below the patch. The slogan was that of the New Helic Military, and it translated from Ancient Zoidian into 'Determination Under Flowing Courage'. It was a fitting quote, as Jamie felt he needed all the courage in the world. He was barely eighteen, yet he was about to join a war of men, as someone who suggested ways to send officers to their deaths: a battle strategist for Helic Military Command.

Another life that I've taken from you   
A gift to add on to your pain and suffering

He had been ready to depart the Blitz team for university, on a full acceptance scholarship at the most prestigious university on Zi, the Zoids Academy stationed one hundred kilometers south of Romeo City. Then he had been drafted. Instead of gaining his degree in engineering and battle tactics, he had been forced into the military life of a soldier, thrust into a world of yelling, orders, and menial tasks that he had faced during training week. He chuckled sadly to himself.

_Not much different from the chores I did at the Toros base._

"Ensign Hermeros," said a man wearing a General's uniform. Jamie saluted and held it uncomfortably until the General returned it, his posture razor sharp. "I am General Trexen Winters. I will be your Commanding Officer. I see that your entrance scores placed you very high, allowing you to attain such a rank and join my advisory staff. Congratulations."

Jamie smiled politely and shook the man's hand, though on the inside he felt completely distraught. "Thank you sir, I look forward to aiding you the best I can," he said falsely.

_I feel like I've just condemned many men to death._

_

* * *

_

_A new wave of recruits already huh? God these kids keep getting younger and younger, _mused Lieutenant Leon Toros, Section Commander of a unit of Shield Liger units for the New Helic Military. When war had broke out, he had been one of the first men enlisted, due to the fact that he was over eighteen and had a considerable resume of Zoid Battle accomplishments. Plus there was the fact that his Zoid was very rare, Blade Ligers being a hot commodity for any military squad. Add in his already considerable resolve and command skills and you had the ingredients for an officer that any Commander would kill to have under his command. It hadn't taken Leon long to rise through the ranks, but the way he had done had been disturbing. 

_Never on my own merit, only through the deaths of other officers._

Another truth you can never believe   
Has crippled you completely

That was the horrifying reality of war; your advancement often hinged on the deaths of others. As morbid as it felt for him to admit that, it was true. He owed his current rank and status to the sacrifice of the countless men and women before him. His squad was one of the Republic's best, having one of the most frequent success rates around. The Fierce Lion Squadron certainly was the best Liger Unit, rarely seeing any unit losses and loss of life. However, the odd death still occurred, each time Leon had to write a report up as to why it happened, and then send a letter notifying the family that their son or daughter had perished under his command on the battlefield. It never was easy, but many of the soldiers had been adults, living on their own with little family still living. Now, it was much harder. The military was accepting more and more soldiers at a younger age.

All the cries you're beginning to hear   
Trapped in your mind, and the sound is deafening

These are just kids, Leon thought, horrified. He dreaded the thought of having to write to a mother and tell her that her son wasn't coming home ever again. The responsibility of war was beginning to weigh on him.

* * *

A lone figure sat at counter, throwing back another shot of whiskey while watching the dim television situated at the corner of the bar. The place was some dingy old dive in the middle of Romeo City. He couldn't even remember the name, though he doubted that the few patrons situated throughout the building even knew it, seeing as how the flickering neon sign out front was on its last legs and barely lit as it is. He ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair as he took out his wallet from his long blue vest. Counting what remaining money he had, he ordered another three shots of whiskey, quickly tossing the first back as he had before.

"Thought I'd find you here," a voice said, "That doesn't look to be too healthy."

"Save it for someone who cares," Brad Hunter retorted, "I've earned this the hard way."

Jack Sisco pulled out a bar stool and sat down beside Brad, ordering a beer for himself. "Still, that is quite the large amount of liquor," said Jack grimacing, "Jesus, Brad I can smell it on you from here."  
  
**Let me enlighten you   
This is the way I pray**   
  
__Brad turned to him, an angered expression crossing his usually cool and collected features. "Well, we can't all be the high and mighty mercenary Jack Sisco now can we?" he said sardonically.

Jack shot him a sideways glance over the edge of his beer mug. "Look, I heard what had happened and I came to Romeo City to see how you were holding up."

Brad turned his gaze towards the countertop, "Well, I've had enough shit to deal with as it is Jack, I don't need your pity."

Living just isn't hard enough,  
Burn me alive, inside   
Living my life's not hard enough   
Take everything away

Jack Sisco was not a man who was easily surprised. But the look he wore on his face dictated otherwise. "Damn it Brad! What the hell has happened to you? You look like shit, you smell like shit, and your attitude is makin' me wanna beat the shit outta' you!"

Brad locked his gaze steadily with Jack's. "Maybe that's because my life _is_ shit," He said matter of factly. This rocked Jack back on his bar stool, surprising him for the second time in the night, and probably for the second time in many years. He remained silent, so Brad continued. "It was two years ago, you know, when the Blitz team was atop the Class S world."

"I remember, you guys were raking in the prize money," said Jack, "I'm sure you were quite happy."

Brad laughed cynically, "Yeah, you'd think that wouldn't you. I mean, I'm a mercenary. I'd found a team that was going somewhere, I was getting paid, and I was getting recognition."

Jack narrowed his eyes, "That's the triple-play that every mercenary hopes for. Why the hell would you give that up?"

Brad turned his eyes back towards the countertop, "Jack, I _had_ to give that up. Sure, we were on top of the world, famous throughout the Neutral Zone, hell, even all of Zi. But then I realized something."

"And that was," Jack said, waiting for an answer.

Another nightmare about to come true   
Will manifest tomorrow

Brad downed another shot of whiskey before continuing. "It wasn't _real_ Jack, it never was, never will be."

Jack looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"The fame dammit," Brad smashed his hand on the countertop, causing the nearby patrons to jump, some moving to sit farther away from the disgruntled mercenary.

"The fame is what makes you as a mercenary," Jack pointed out, "Without that, no one trusts our results."

Brad clenched his fists, trying to reign in his anger. "What good is fame when you don't earn it."

"Jesus Christ Brad! Do you hear yourself? I can't stand this self-pity crap!" Jack's voice rose in anger.

"Shit Jack, it's all true." Brad's eyes looked downwards once more. "Less than six months after the Royal Cup, I began to realize something. While we were winning, I noticed that the Doc congratulated me less, that Jamie used me less in his battle strategies, and that my personal points were falling."

Jack said, "So, maybe you were just having a bad streak of luck."

"Dammit Jack, luck has never been a part of my life. I've had to make my own damn luck," Brad said bitterly, reaching for a fourth shot glass.

Jack's arm reached out and caught hold of Brad's wrist before he could pick up the next shot of whiskey. "That still doesn't explain why you've been actin' the way you are."

"Fuck Jack, I've become the thing I hate. I've become dependent on another. I wasn't the one bringing in my success, Bit Cloud was. He excelled after every battle while my skills atrophied down to nothing," Brad explained.

Jack snorted, "That's a load of crap and you know it. Sure, Bit is an exceptionally great pilot, but remember you were one of the ones who helped that team rise up to Class B before Bit joined up. You obviously have the skills to hang with him."

Another love that I've taken from you   
Lost in time, on the edge of suffering

Brad smiled sadly, "See, you're wrong there. I left the Blitz team in search of my own fame, not one given to me for being affiliated with someone else," he threw back another shot of whiskey. "And that's when the reality of it all slapped me upside the head. I couldn't land any Class A jobs, and when I finally got a job it was for a Class B team. They were decent pilots, and you'll never guess our opponents."

Jack offered, "Hmmm.....Zaber Tigers?"

"I wish," stated Brad, "No, it was the Champ team. The bloody fuckin' Champ team. And do you know what? I lost. And not to Harry Champ either. One of his damn robots shot me down," Brad's voice rose again, "One of those fuckin', stupid, incompetent, piece of shit robots!"

Jack remained silent, watching Brad carefully.

"That's when I lost it," Brad began, "The will to fight, the will to work, the will to do anything worthwhile. I lost my love of the battle Jack, and with it, my entire fuckin' life has become a hole."

Jack was still silent a moment before he spoke up, "Jesus Brad, there's always room on my team if you need work and-"

He was cut off by Brad, who stood up sharply, knocking his stool over. He said in a low, dangerous voice, "Like I said before Jack, I don't need your fucking pity. Save it for someone who gives a fuck." With that, he stormed out of the bar, staggering into the nighttime streets of Romeo City. It was raining out, but he rather enjoyed it; it aided the mood he was drifting into.

Another taste of the evil I breed   
Will level you completely

He walked a few more steps when he noticed a sign in a store window. It read, 'Attention all mercenaries, the Imperial Army wants YOU. High payoffs to all mercenaries who fight valiantly for the Guylos Empire. Register in Guygalos for your assignments, and may the Imperial Army march to victory!'

He smirked, _A war would do me right. I've got nothin' to live for anyways._ He peered closer at the information on the sheet. _If the price is right, I might as well take a few fuckers with me to hell._

He allowed himself a small chuckle as he staggered off down the sidewalk towards his broken down motel flat. Unbeknownst to him, a figure stood watching his departure.

Bring to life everything that you fear   
Live in the dark, and the world is threatening

Jack Sisco let out a long sigh as he watched Brad leave.

Jesus Brad, don't do what I did. Don't let things like this break you.

He turned in the opposite direction and began to walk down the street. _Don't do this to yourself._ He continued until he reached the city limits, where he had parked his Lightning Saix at a Zoid parking station.

_Don't do this to Naomi._

* * *

****She stood, alone, on the front porch of her home in the Wind Colony, watching her boyfriend of three years walk away, turning to casually wave to her, as if he was only going to be gone for a few days. He had left her with a few words, a simple "I love you," and a kiss that had left her weak in the knees. She had resisted the urge to cry, but as the car carrying Bit Cloud disappeared over the horizon, she began to cry, her red hair shaking as sobs wracked her petite frame. 

Let me enlighten you   
This is the way I pray

_Oh Bit, why do you have to leave now?_ She turned away from the outside world and re-entered the house that she and Bit had bought with the money they won from fighting in Class S battles. Walking into the living room, she sat down heavily on one of the large couches, wiping tears from her watery violet eyes. She hadn't cried in years, not since Bit professed his love for, yet here she was, crying like there was no tomorrow. She turned on the television, hoping that it would take her mind of her present situation: the war that loomed over hers and everyone's heads. Unfortunately, the news happened to be doing a casualty report, stating that one in seven soldiers died within the first two missions they experienced. She nearly broke down again upon hearing that bit of information, picking up a picture frame and running her thumb across it.

**Living just isn't hard enough,  
Burn me alive, inside   
Living my life's not hard enough   
Take everything away**

She lovingly looked at the picture of her and Bit. It had been taken shortly after they had reached the top of Class S, capping off their most difficult battle ever. It was only minutes after the picture that Bit had told her just how much he loved her, and it changed her life forever. Her skies brightened, her outlook was that of a much more successful person. She had felt complete for the first time in her life. But now, she felt incomplete again. Bit had been drafted for a war that neither of them believed in. Unfortunately, Bit's parents were of Helic descent, and since he was twenty he was eligible for the draft. He had left, still seeming so carefree, and Leena didn't have the heart to tell him.

_Oh Bit, _she thought, _I couldn't have told you that I'm pregnant, you would've dodged your recruitment and been thrown in jail._

She smiled softly, realizing how great a parent Bit would make. She turned off the television and sat back down on the couch, still cradling the picture in her arms. She fell asleep that way, a sad smile on her face.

* * *

A tall man with brown hair that was graying at the temples stood stooped over a low console, his hands inside, working with a soldering tool to fuse together a set of wires. He had been working on this particular set of components for a few hours, taking the necessary care to make sure that they didn't come out of alignment. The finished component would have made the perfect addition to the stealth systems on Brad's Shadowfox.

_Except that Brad isn't even on our team anymore._ The Doc sighed._ Who am I kidding, I don't even have a team to speak of anymore._

Return to me, return to me, return to me, turn to me, leave me no one

Just then the video phone rang, signaling a long distance call. Steve Toros jumped, hitting his head on the console's cowling as the wires that he had carefully gathered up sprang loose from his hands. Cursing and rubbing his sore head, he ran over to the far wall of the hanger, intent on answering the phone, hoping it was who he thought it was.

It wasn't.

"Hello sir, my name is Derriej Klesnen and I'm from Zoid Builders Annual, and I-"

Dr. Toros cut him off angrily, "Look, I'm waiting for an important phone call, don't waste my time," and with that, he cut the phone feed.

He sighed again, _Another bloody telemarketer._ It had been that way for over a month now. Whenever someone phoned the base he would run to the phone, hoping to hear from Leena, Leon, Bit, Jamie, even Brad. Anyone who could give him news as to what was going on with the war.

Turn to me, return to me, return to me, turn to me, cast aside

They had all left for their own endeavours. Brad had been first, shortly after the team made it into Class S. No one knew the reason why he left, and none had heard from him since then. It was like he dropped off the face of the planet. Leon had rejoined the Blitz team for a short while, which filled in the hole left by Brad's absence. But then, Bit and Leena decided to move in together and buy a home in the Wind Colony. Not that Steve had anything against Bit, he loved him like his own son, but he wished they had stayed so he could see his daughter more, and on a more selfish note, so that they could battle for the Blitz team more often.

Return to me, return to me, return to me, turn to me, leave me no one

But that was the way it went, and there was little that he could do to stand in the way of young love. They still did quite well considering they only had two permanent team members and two who could still battle infrequently. But then something unexpected had occurred, shattering his perfect life. War. War had ruined what he had perceived as some of the best times of his life. Leon had left immediately, being one of the first wave recruited by the Helic Republic, a testament to his skills as a Zoid warrior. He had already risen to the rank of Lieutenant, but Dr. Toros worried about him everyday, dreading the call that would someday say that he had lost his son.

Jamie had left only a few weeks ago, having been ready to attend the Zoids Academy on Dr. Toros' sponsorship, himself having received his doctorate from the Academy. Unfortunately for Jamie, the Helic Military had taken note of his brilliance with battle strategy and had drafted him into their corps of Battle Analysts. The last he had heard of Jamie was that he was assigned to the commanding General's personal staff.

Turn to me, return to me, return to me, turn to me, you've made me turn away

Leena had called him the other day. Though struggling to hold back tears, she told him that Bit had been drafted into the Helic Military as well, his parents being Helic in descent. That had been the last straw for the Doc. He turned his back on the real world and threw himself into his work, designing new parts or tinkering with old ones. It was just his way of dealing with the events that currently conspired to destroy his perfect life. Everyone had been withdrawing from his life, with little hope of returning until after the war was finished.

_If they survive,_ Doctor Steven Toros thought darkly, returning to his work.

* * *

Bit watched the large military style complex loom before him with mixed interest. While he disliked the fact that he would be away from Leena, the war would let him test his skills in a full-time environment, and he looked forward to that. 

This should be interesting.

  
**Living just isn't hard enough **

Jamie had just finished his first battle strategy meeting, feeling like he had just gone three rounds with the Berserk Fury bare handed. His plan had met with all sorts of scrutiny, such as ammo costs, time constraints, and probable enemy action. He had done his best to field of the questions, and his plan had met with acceptance. If his life wasn't stressful enough before, the military certainly took the cake.

_This isn't nearly as interesting as I thought it would be._

  
**Burn me alive, inside **

Leon had finished being briefed on his newest battle plan, and now he was currently checking the systems on his Red Blade Liger before he was due to train some new recruits. The newest plan, which called for them to mobilize soon, left him only a few days to train the new wave of recruits that were coming in later that day.

This is foolhardy. We're leading lambs to slaughter.

Living my life's not hard enough,

Brad finished loading the rest of his personal gear into the lower storage compartment in his Shadow Fox. All systems read nominal, so he walked the Fox onto the rear cargo trailer of a Gustav that the Guylos Military had loaned him as an advance for his services. Nodding goodbye to his old life, Brad got into the Gustav's cockpit and set out on the long journey to Guygalos, and his new existence as a soldier of fortune.

_I wonder if they have a stealth division._

  
  
**They take everything from you **

* * *

Author Notes: Wow! I dealt with more characters than I thought I was going to when I set out to write this chapter! I really wrote a lot for Brad, who I originally intended to have less a role in this chapter, but I just got carried away with his and Jack's conversation. Trust me, the story will get real interesting soon. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and remember read and review!


	2. Liberate

Zoids Neo Slash Zero: Believe

Chapter 1: Liberate

Author Notes: Howdy y'all! I'm back again with the newest chapter of Zoids Neo Slash Zero: Believe! Damn, that took me a lot longer to get out than I had anticipated, but I had much work and stuff on my plate at the same time so, I hope you guys can forgive me. I promise to try to get to some action here, as I have a vague outline in my head about chapters, but some I'm not too sure where I'm going. I know how I want to end the story, but it's getting there that will be the fun part. Anyways, now to the reviewers!

BlackHole Army Commander - Hey man! Nice to see you reviewing ma fic! Sweet! I dunno what it is about war-fics. I didn't even think about the fic we were writing together, but yeah, it is a war fic isn't it? I've always thought of it as a tournament fic still, but I guess you're right! I got your mail, but I dunno if I'll finish it soon, I've got a lot on the go.

Zero Stalker - Time consuming in a good way? Or time consuming in the watching paint dry way? I hear you about making battles happen sooner, but don't worry, we'll see some fighting yet. I'm tryin' to weave a nice little plot first, you'll see.

Mercenary Pen - Lol, grinds the reader's face. I love it. Grind on! I know it may seem extreme that Brad lost to the Champ Team, but keep in mind that since he stayed with the Blitz Team so long (and keeping in mind Bit's ability to get even better with his permanently bonded organoid system), he would be relied on less, and so his skills would faulter. And while it may seem that yeah, that is still a stretch for Brad's skills to lose to Harry, remember when Naomi lost her first fight against the Blitz Team? Bit won on a fluke, so it's possible that Harry won that way as well. Speaking of Harry, I don't know if I have any plans yet, though I may keep him in mind if I think of something!

BlueFly7 - Glad you like the story so far! I don't know about Vega yet, like Harry I hadn't considered him. He's still a bit young to be fighting in war, but then again, so were Van and Raven....so maybe there's still hope for him.

Steam Detective - Wake up! Lol, glad you liked the prologue to the story, it promises to pick up real soon! I'm glad that Knuckles at least reviewed my story, tell him I'll buy him a beer for staying awake. Good luck with those robots on your lawn and thanks for reviewing!

Blades Death - Hey! Thanks fo reviewing! I have seen a crap load of Zoids war fics pop up before and after I started writing this. However, mine will have a twist that I am almost sure none of the others will have, plus I have NC characters, so w00t on you! I really hope I make your Zoids top ten, and here's to a great story! Cheers.

Oh yeah, I forgot a disclaimer before.

I do not own Zoids nor do I own the band Disturbed. I do own an album though.

Now! On to the story!

* * *

"Attention!" A loud, clear voice yelled across the courtyard of Helic Training Facility Number Nine, splitting the calm, crisp early morning air. A group of weary recruits snapped to spine straight attention, barely showing signs of gasping, large sweat stains marking their military issue fatigues. One recruit in particular was sweating and panting less than the others, and at this thought a smile came to the blonde's face. 

"Cloud you maggot!" the Drill Sergeant yelled, "What is so damn funny!"

Bit locked his sea green eyes with the instructor's before answering. "I just thought that-"

"You thought nothing maggot!" the Drill Sergeant screamed, "Now drop and give me fifty!"

The Sergeant moved further down the line as Bit dropped to the ground, doing his push-ups in a rapid manner. By the time the Sergeant had turned around he had already finished and was back in line, barely a trace of strain evident on his face.

"Private Cloud! When I say fifty, I mean do fifty!" he yelled, face reddening.

Bit almost rolled his eyes.

Liberate your mind  
You motherfucker, you're so narrow-minded  
So narrow-minded

"With all due respect, sir," he began, "I did do fifty push-ups."

The Drill Sergeant did not look amused. "I don't buy it maggot. Give me fifty more." With that he left again to intimidate some of the younger recruits. Once again, Bit was finished in nearly record time, back in line with the others in three shakes of a Genosaurer's tail. The look on the Instructor's face was priceless.

"Holy hell Private Cloud! Where the hell did you get the physical ability to do all that!"

Bit smirked, "Well, I used to get a lot of experience running back home. Plus, piloting a Zoid requires me to be in top shape," Bit paused a second before adding sarcastically, "Sir."

_Or I could say that all the running I did while Leena chased me did me a lot of good. Doesn't this guy know who I am?_

"Very funny Private Cloud," the Sergeant sneered. "But how funny would it be if you had to do five hundred more pushups!"

Bit groaned and was about to do them when a voice interrupted him and the Sergeant.

"That will be quite enough Drill Sergeant," it said authoritatively.

"But sir," the Instructor said to the uniformed officer, "With all due respect this maggot needs some sense driven into him."

**  
Liberate your mind  
Now motherfucker, will you liberate your mind  
This time**

The officer raised his voice sharply, "You will do as you are told, Sergeant. This young man," he said pointing to Bit, "Is one of our greatest assets right now."

The Instructor looked more than slightly incredulous, "This maggot? How can this scrawny kid be of any help for us?"

The officer sighed, "Don't you know who that is? That scrawny kid is Bit Cloud, probably one of the best Zoid pilots in recent memory." Bit smirked slightly while the Drill Sergeant's jaw hit the ground."Now if you don't mind," the officer continued, "I'd like to take Private Cloud with me for special assignment."

The Instructor was speechless, so Bit simply walked over to the officer's side and followed him out of the courtyard.They walked for awhile, Bit fidgeting in the uncomfortable silence, until he eventually decided to say something.

"Uhh, I suppose I should be thanking you Sir," he began.

"Nonsense," the officer cut him off. "Your skills and reputation are the only things you should be thanking." The officer offered him his hand. "My name is General Trexen Winters, and I'll be heading the main battle group in this war."

Bit almost faltered in his step. Here he was, shooting his mouth off in the presence of a military general. This was the one person he really shouldn't piss off. "Sir, I apologize for back there, I mean, with the Sergeant, I-"

"Nonsense," General Winters said again, "You are obviously in peak physical condition, there is no need to be apart of that exercise group."

Bit couldn't think of anything else to say to the General, aside from a "Thank you sir."

The General continued, "The reason I have pulled you out of your group is that because of your already considerable skill, I'll be moving you to an active squadron in time for our next mission. You'll be reporting to our base on the Eastern Continent, just on the coast of the Zerros Ocean. Report to the hanger with your Zoid in five hours."

"Thank you sir," said Bit. He watched the General walk away before turning to gather his things from his quarters.

_I've only been here less than a week and they've already promoted me to active duty in a mission. This military stuff is so easy. _He thought smugly.

* * *

"So, we have decided that the next step in the campaign against those treacherous Guylos thugs will commence in under two days from now," the voice belonging to General Trexen Winters boomed loudly from the podium of the medium sized briefing room. The General's hazel eyed gaze and commanding shock of red hair gave him an intense look, one that made his men fiercely proud to fight for him. The podium was situated at the far end of an oval table, containing various military officers and commanders from all sections of the Helic Army. The mirrored surface of the table reflected Leon's concerned face back up at him as he listened to the General continue on about the need to end the war quickly and decisively.**  
**  
**Bold motherfucker  
Don't limit your mind  
Can't you see that the pace  
Has fallen behind**

_The General is sacrificing careful tactics in place of a quick war. _Leon frowned**.**

The General had been ordering quick, blitzkrieg-like strikes against outlying Guylos supply lines. While they had still been effective, the missions came off as either poorly planned or rushed. It would only be a matter of time before Guylos caught on and lay a trap, which would end the Republic's winning streak in a hurry.

_His past success is clouding his better judgment. We're going to get burned if he keeps this up._

The General continued his speech, "Guylos has been a thorn in the side of the public, threatening everyone's safety with their creation of superweapons, such as their so called, Giga-Gravity Cannon."

_He forgets that in the past it was the Helic Republic that used that same Gravity Cannon to defeat the Death Stinger._

"As such, we must not allow them to remain a threat to the safety of all those on Planet Zi," General Winters lowered his voice, "If history has taught us anything, it is that appeasement only leads to further power grabs by evil nations. We must stop this problem at the source."

Leon looked up abruptly, startled, "Sir, you can't mean Guygalos itself?' he asked.

The General turned his gaze towards Leon, "Of course I mean Guygalos, Lieutenant Toros." he said dangerously, "We must cut the head off of the snake to stop its fangs from injecting us with venom."

"But sir!" Leon continued, "Is it wise to rush into this?"

The General's voice rose, "Are you questioning my authority _Lieutenant_? Need I remind you of your rank?"

Leon sat down, defeated. "No sir," he said submissively.

_He is rushing this war way to fast. Does he even know what the Guylos Empire's plans are yet?_

That was the crux of the matter. Since the beginning of the war, the Empire had not used another super weapon like the Giga-Gravity Cannon again. The general consensus had been that they didn't have much ammunition for the cannon; the first Gravity Cannon was only able to fire three shots. Since Guylos had not attacked any major Republic facility for the better part of seven months, General Winters had taken to aggressively cutting into Guylos supply lines in an ambitious campaign to end the war quickly. Now it seemed that he was ready to end the play before the first act even started.

The General continued speaking, "Now, to further aid our campaign against the Guylos Empire, we have a covert ops mission planned. I will turn this over the Ensign Hermeros, who will further inform you on the situation." The General finished speaking and sat down, taking a place near the head of the table while a young, scared looking analyst with brown hair took his place at the podium. He pressed a recessed button underneath the altern and a screen moved downwards from the ceiling to occupy the large, bare wall beside the podium.

_Jamie! What is he doing here?_

Jamie cleared his throat nervously and began his briefing. He clicked a button on the small handheld computer he carried and an image of small lake appeared on the screen. It was surrounded by small stands of trees and scattered boulders, showing nothing out of the ordinary. It was simply as it was: a small, calm lake.

"This may appear to be an ordinary, run of the mill lake scene," Jamie began, "But this particular lake is our next objective."

A man wearing the uniform of a Colonel spoke up, "You mean we are to capture a body of water?" he asked.

"No sir," Jamie corrected, "But rather we are after what is _under_ this lake."

A collection of inquisitive murmurs went up around the table as various officers turned to one other, each whispering what they thought it might be. Jamie cleared his throat once more and continued his briefing. He clicked a button on his handheld computer and two new images appeared on the screen. They were of the same area of land: the lake from orbital view, however in one there was water and the other had none.

"If you take a look at satellite imaging and archival photos that our intelligence division uncovered in the archives, this lake was once empty of all its water," he said.

"But what could cause this phenomenon?" a Major asked.

"That is precisely what we set out to discover," Jamie replied, "It has been determined that a dual lunar eclipse will occur in two days, where the moons align with each other over a set period of land. This only happens in specific places every two hundred years."

The Colonel from earlier raised a hand, "That is all well and good, but how does this benefit us?"

"Satellite images have shown ruins hidden under the water, as evidenced by the photos of the lake drained of water," Jamie answered, "We also have looked into the personal logs of one Van Fleiheit. His reports indicate the presence of Zoidian ruins around the time he was embroiled in his quest to find Zoid Eve-"

He was cut off by the Colonel, "You want us to invest time and money in searching for something that may be strictly hypothetical?!" he almost bellowed, "That's madness!"

The others around the table began to shout and argue as to what the best course of action was, at least they were until General Winters raised his fist slowly and smashed it down on the table.

"Order!" he called, "This mission was approved by me, and do you know why?" he asked dangerously. No replies met his query, so he continued, "We are looking into this because intelligence has discovered the reason for the silence behind Guylos lines. They are searching for a new super weapon, much like the fabled Death Stinger, or even something as horrifying as the Death Saurer."

A few gasps went up around the table as the officers dealt with that bombshell of information.

_Revived Death Stinger?_ Leon mused, _This is madness!_

General Winters motioned to Jamie to continue. "Now," Jamie began, "We are hoping to find clues as to if, and where these weapons exist. We are trying to stop Guylos from taking them and utilizing their power for military gain."

All the hate in your heart  
Will be leaving you blind  
So bold motherfucker  
Don't you limit your mind  
This time

The General may be touting this to be a valiant campaign to stop Guylos from using superweapons, but I think his hate of the Empire is driving him to find a means to end this war quickly. This is not a good sign.

"Now," said Jamie, "Here's where we begin to mass our troops..."

* * *

Leon walked across the open hanger floor, taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of a busy base complex in war time just before a mission. He took a deep breath, filling his nose with the sharp scent of coolants and the heady smell of engine fumes. As he made his way past a row of Pteras Bomber units being loaded with missiles, he heard various calls and answers of techs running diagnostics on command systems, the hydraulic sounds of loaders hissing and wheezing in their attempts to lift tonnes of weaponry, and the laughter of pilots as they chatted; their last time together before beginning another potentially dangerous mission. 

He strolled past the first of the Shield Liger units under his command, its blue finish gleaming in the light, freshly polished by the mechanics assigned to his squad. The Shield Liger, in his opinion, was the most well rounded Zoid that the Republic had to offer. Aside from the obvious shield where the Zoid derived its name, the Shield Liger had a well rounded arsenal of weapons. A triple impact cannon came installed between the Liger's front legs, capable of firing high density shells that explode on impact, easily able to strip enemy Zoids of their armour in a few salvos. The Liger also carried two hidden weapons, first being a pair of repeater guns mounted behind panels on top of the Shield Liger's back. When deployed, the cannons could swivel three hundred and sixty degrees and elevate angles to cover all sides of the Liger. The second hidden weapon came in the form of twin rocket pods hidden inside either side of the Liger's body. When needed, they flipped down and outwards from the body, each capable of firing eight rockets in quick succession. The Liger's tail also contained a weapon, dual beam cannons attached to the tail's end, useful for warding off any pursuit behind the Liger. Add to the considerable list of weaponry the fact that the Liger had a fair top speed and cat-like agility, as well as the defensive shield, and you were left with the complete package for a well rounded Zoid. Leon had a great deal of respect for the Shield Liger, having piloted one before he found the Red Blade Liger.

_These Zoids have got a lot of fight in them._

He sighed, remembering his agenda that he had received just after Jamie, or Ensign Hermeros, gave him his final orders. He would have to assemble his squadron to move out in less than an hour, and on top of all that, he had just heard that the General was assigning a new recruit fresh to his squadron, with no battle experience. It was bad enough that they were enlisting young recruits, but now they were moving them into squadrons with little battle training given to them. At least it was a compliment to his skill as a commander that they would give him a new recruit so fresh out of training camp.

_I guess they assume I can keep him alive._

He ran his fingers over the emblem that was emblazoned over various parts of the Liger: the unit crest for the Fierce Lion Squadron. The crest consisted of a stylized outline of the New Helic Military's symbol, with the words _Draask Unthe Teramis Abludor_ written underneath, over top of which was a picture of a lion in mid jump, much like how the Liger Zero appeared when it performed its Strike Laser Claw ability.

Leon's jaw promptly dropped at the next thing he saw. Almost following along his line of thought, the aforementioned Liger Zero sat pristinely on the weapons loading bay, its white armour shining brightly under the loading dock's spotlights. General Winters saw his expression and motioned for Leon to come and speak with him. Leon numbly crossed the dock floor to where the General was standing, barely registering anything occurring around him. His eyes were focused upon the one person he'd thought he'd never see there. The one person from his past that knew his skill in battle more than he knew his own. For there, standing beside the General, was the one and only, Bit Cloud.

"Lieutenant Toros," the General began, "I'd like to introduce your newest recruit, Private Bit Cloud."

Bit saluted Leon with a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, as if he could barely contain his mirth.

"We've already met before," Leon found his voice, "He and I were rivals once."

_We still are in a way._

The General's mood brightened, "Oh good, then you already know each other. Private Cloud here is being assigned to your squad because of his already considerable skill. We're hoping that he can help you in this mission."

Leon frowned inwardly. _They only want him because of three things. The Class S rank, his conversion armours, and the Organoid system within the Zero._

Waiting, for your modern messiah  
To take away all the hatred

That darkens the light in your eye  
Still awaiting. I

"Well sir," he said outwardly, "I'm sure Private Cloud will make an excellent addition to my squad."

"Good," the General smiled, "Then I'll look forward to seeing results." With that he saluted. Leon and Bit both returned the General's salute and held as he walked away to find another squadron commander.

"So, it seems we meet again," he said, turning to Bit.

Bit smiled, actually seeming to like the fact that he was under Leon's command. "Come on Leon, it'll be just like when you mentored me before you left the Blitz Team."

Leon frowned again, "Just remember Bit, you have to call me Lieutenant over comm calls and during any meetings with superior officers. I know you know me but we have to maintain protocol."

Bit rolled his eyes, "Oh come on Leon, I went through all this crap in training camp. When the times call for it, I'll be sure to be formal."

"I'm serious Bit," Leon's eyes narrowed, "If we're on a secret mission and the enemy intercepts a stray transmission and hears a name instead of an anonymous call sign, they're going to be able to pin it to a squadron. We don't want that, because once they know it's my squad, they're going to want to throw a lot of firepower our way."

Bit let out a small laugh, "You guys are that good?"

Leon's face got serious, "We're better, but that doesn't mean that I like to risk the lives of my people." He opened his arms wide, taking in every single unit stationed in his squadron. "This is my responsibility, but keeping my men alive is my personal mission. That includes you."

Bit sighed, "Well, at least if my officer's gonna be a hardass, he's a hardass that I'm familiar with."

Leon chuckled at this, "Well, just keep to your orders and you'll do fine." He pointed to the Liger, "Did you bring the conversion armours?"

Bit placed his arms behind his head, "Nah, they need the Doc to sign 'em over. They haven't been able to get through to his line though."

_That's Dad, always forgetting to do something._

"Well," Leon said, "We're moving out real soon. I can't tell you our destination now for security's sake, but I will tell you and the rest of the squad en route to the target." He motioned towards the Liger, "Now go make sure all your systems are prepped and ready to go."

"Sure thing," Bit said, "_Sir,_" he added sarcastically before heading off to do his task.

Leon sighed exasperatedly.

_If I don't keep him alive, Leena will kill me._

_

* * *

_

Bit leaned over the cockpit console of the Liger Zero, fiddling with a pair of wires that happened to spring loose over the years he had taken it through the rigors of Class S battling. He had finally managed to get the two wires to stay put for a moment when a small car moving Command Wolf AC cannons bumped into the front leg of the Liger. The resulting jolt caused Bit to drop the soldering tool he was holding and burn his hand on the small exposed filament. Cursing, he sucked his knuckles as a welt appeared, immediately regretting the action as his hands were covered in grease from the cockpit gears.

_You'd figure since I'm supposed to be this great pilot coming in here that I would get a mechanic to help me,_ he wondered. _But no, all the new recruits have to do their own repairs._

He picked up the tool and found the wires again, putting them in their place with less difficulty this time. The cockpit systems began to read nominal and all lights on the checklist turned green, but Bit wasn't sure until the Liger said so.

"You feelin' okay now buddy?" he asked Zero. It grumbled its approval and threw its head back in a mighty roar, scaring a few passing technicians who were leaving to go on a coffee break. "Good," said Bit happily. He'd be able to mount up in his cockpit and join the rest of the assembled squadron near the bay doors in a few minutes. That is, of course, if he could find his uniform jacket.

_Now where did I put that jacket?_

After only a few moments of searching he found it, hiding behind the cockpit chair and half under his survival kit. Donning his jacket, he took a moment to view himself in the cockpit glass reflection, making sure he looked presentable and was in accordance with the dress code. He straightened the black jacket with red shoulder trim, making sure his units patches were all present; the one for the New Helic Military and the one for the Fierce Lion Squadron. He smirked as he saw his rank stripes.

_Hmph. I bet I could pilot circles around all these guys._

He fixed the hem of the jacket, which was slightly wrinkled, but nonetheless still looked sharp. He was about to climb down and inquire to Leon about mission start time when a loud voice booming over the intercom interrupted his reverie.

"Attention all pilots, attention all pilots," the voice of the Deck Officer called, "Report to hanger bay doors Number Three and Four for departure. Good luck on your mission." With that the voice was silent, leaving Bit alone again in the cockpit.

Bit sat down in the chair, keying the controls of the Liger Zero to life. The white Zoid roared in a challenge, as if daring the mission to be a dangerous one. Bit stalked across the hanger, taking note of all the techs and pilots who stopped to watch his passing.

_They must've seen me in action before, _he thought smugly. _Just wait 'til they see me now._

_

* * *

_

The cool, crisp air of a desert during nighttime did little to ease the tension in Leon's back as his Red Blade Liger padded across the desert, making almost no noise as its golden claws glinted in the moonlight given off by the dual moons above. The area, surrounded by endless dunes, left little to occupy the mind, save row upon row of sand collected into different formations dictated by shifting wind patterns. Every now and again Leon would see small, squat looking cacti, their blooms fully open in the night in hopes of collecting the precious dew that would form in the morning. The aforementioned moons were soon to become one, the major factor in why Leon's team was heading a taskforce in the area. Leon reached down to his cockpit panel and keyed up the comm frequency for his advance scout of four Guysack units.

"Lion Leader to Scout One," he called.

A buzz-click of the comm later and he was answered by the lead Guysack pilot, "This is Scout One, go ahead Lead."

"We should be seeing the objective soon, ETA about five minutes. Keep your eyes peeled and sensors sharp."

"Will do Lead. One out."

Leon leaned back slightly in his chair, waiting for the call that would signal the sighting of the lake they were looking for.

_I still don't know what we'll find though._

That simple fact is what had him slightly nervous. They were being sent to investigate ruins that may include hints as to where Zoid Eve might be located. That in itself left enough mystery to leave Leon wondering how well guarded this place might be, and if there may be booby traps. The fact that the Republic knew about the lake gave rise to the possibility that the Guylos Empire knew as well. Guylos had to have spies throughout the Republic; ambush was a distinct possibility. A call across the comm system interrupted his thoughts.

"This is Scout One, I have spotted the objective," the Guysack pilot said, "Take heading 241. Scout One out."

Leon keyed his comm, "I copy Scout One, take your group and wait near the departure point." He flipped a switch, replacing the frequency with one that connected his squadron. "Okay boys and girls, we're going in to look around, but stay alert," he cautioned, "We never know what bandits may be around the corner."

The sound of various different affirmatives reached his ears as he spurred his Blade Liger forward towards the shore of the lake. The lake itself, codenamed 'Lake Eve' for lack of a better name, was a fairly small affair, situated within a depression in the desert, possibly part of some old crater caused by an impact thousands of millennia old. Leon's squad had just reached the shore when a timer beeped on his console, indicating that the time for the lunar alignment had arrived. Overhead the moons moved together, one overtop the other until it appeared that there was only one moon. Leon's gaze fell to the lake. Nothing happened. At least at first, because after a few moments small rivers began to form leading away from the lake. The combined gravitational pull of the two moons located directly overtop of the lake exerted their tidal grip and tore the water from its usual boundary. The rivers drained away from the lake and formed small reservoirs in a satellite formation around the lake, which was now so low that shapes could be seen just below the surface. Leon watched in wonder as a small set of ancient buildings broke the surface, water cascading over their walls and tumbling out through open portal windows.

"Well people," said Leon, "There's the objective. Lion Two, on me. Lion Five, you take control of the squad until we get back."

Two double clicks of the comm acknowledged his order as he and Two set out down the gentle slopes of the lake and into the small stand of buildings.

"Stay sharp Two, anything could be out there," he warned.

"I copy lead," came Two's calm voice, betraying no signs of nervousness. They continued onwards until they reached the small stand of buildings. The dwellings themselves were unimpressive, aside from the fact that they were incredibly old with archaic designs and runes running all over their surfaces. Leon continued until he reached the center of the small town, in what appeared to be some sort of town square. There sat a large edifice carved from stone, depicting the large statue of a humanoid form, or possibly Zoidian since they were both similar. The woman's pose was that of a kneel, as she sat in front of a small model of a city. Leon aimed his visual sensors at the small plaque mounted to the base of the statue. It had the same symbols and designs as many of the buildings.

_Those aren't just designs,_ Leon realized, _They're part of an ancient language!_

He activated his comm unit, "Two, I'm going to take a few pictures here before we get the excavation team down here. That plaque looks like the thing we're after."

The sounds of gunfire interrupted Two's reply as small flashes of beam fire and incendiary missiles appeared from atop some of the sand dunes. Scout One's voice echoed across the comm system next.

"Attention Lion Lead. We are under attack by Imperial forces. I count a squad of ten Helcats."

Leon's mouth dropped, "They think they can only bring ten Helcats to defeat us?"

One continued, "They are using advanced stealth technology sir, they got the drop on us and-" an explosion rocked the night before One continued, "We just lost Scout Three. We could use a hand here."

Leon brought the Blade Liger around, facing the southern ridge where the fighting was occurring. "Let's go Two. Fierce Lions, form up on me. Let's take the fight to them."

Leon's red Liger bounded up the gradual slope, followed closely by Two's blue Shield Liger. He noticed the rest of his squad, lead by Lion Five, heading up the slope fifty meters away. A streak of white began to pull away from the rest of the pack as they neared the fight.

_What is Bit doing! This isn't a ZBC battle! He can't just rush in there, there aren't rules to keep him from getting killed!_

"Lion Twelve, get back in formation!" he ordered.

"Leon don't worry, I've got this," Bit said offhandedly.

Leon grew angry, "Private Cloud! That is a direct order. Get back in line."

Bit pretended not to hear, "Sorry Lead, I can't make that last order out, must be getting static interference."

Leon snarled in frustration, "Dammit Bit, get back here now!"

But it was to no avail as the white streak known as Liger Zero activated its boosters and jumped out further ahead to engage two visible Helcats that were chasing Scout One's slightly damaged Guysack. The Helcat was a fairly old modeled Zoid employed by the Guylos Empire, however it was small and easily used for scout and recon missions. They excelled at stealth, but were not heavy hitters in the assault department. They employed four small twenty millimeter cannons, but their main strength lay in their cloaking capabilities, which Bit experienced first hand as six other Helcats decloaked all around him as he set up to engage the first two Helcats. They opened fire with their guns, the Liger Zero barely managing to dodge backwards over the fire as a few shots hit its boosters in mid-jump. A small hole in the boosters' edge leaked fuel which caught fire in the engine flame, the ensuing explosion blowing the Liger out of the air and causing it to land hard on its neck, its command system frozen.

"Twelve! Status," Leon called.

A groan came over the comm, "Anybody get the number of that Gojulas? I'm okay, but I'm CS frozen right now."

_He's damn lucky he's only command system frozen and not dead_

Leon sighed, "Well, stay put and don't do anything foolish. Alright Lions, new objective. Protect Twelve's Zoid and drive off the enemy."

His Liger let out a roar as he deployed his blades, activating the switch that sent energy to them. His Liger lit up the night as the blades grew golden in colour, intense energy coruscating throughout the blade on either side of his Zoid. He took three more bounds and he was upon them, teeth and claws flashing in the dim light given off by the dual eclipse. He sidestepped fire from a pair of Helcats, stepping closer to the right hand one and pivoting the Liger's left paw in a full wide turn, bringing his right side blade to bear. It tore through the shoulder armour of the Helcat like a knife through butter, shredding the stabilizer caps in the shoulder and continuing down to the midsection of the Zoid. Leon jumped away towards the second Helcat as the first fell over before an internal explosion from its stealth matrix ripped the hole in its side open further. The second Helcat had little time to move as Leon brought the right paw of his Liger crashing into the head of the enemy Zoid, dimming the cockpit sensors for a moment as he planted his left blade deep into the chest of the other Zoid, nearly stabbing the Zoid core and sending dark fluids leaking throughout the hole as the Helcat froze up and fell over sideways.

He looked at his monitor, seeing a slight distortion marring his rear scope.

_That's the flaw with stealth technology. You can see movement if there's smoke nearby._

He hit the boosters on the Liger and pulled his front paws upwards, pulling a near back flip to land on the cloaked Helcat that had been sneaking up on him. The Blade Liger's front paws landed just in front of the Helcats shoulder blades driving it face first into the dirt and snapping its neck viciously. He switched his Blades over to laser rifle mode and took aim at a trio of Helcats that were engaging the four men he had tasked to protect Bit's downed Zoid. It took a few moments for the heads-up display to settle in a green target lock, but the Liger roared once Leon had acquired it. Scarlet bolts lanced out from the blades, stabbing furiously across the dunes towards the outermost Helcat. It had been a surgical strike. The twin beams pierced the ammo storage compartment for the pair of chest mounted guns, causing a pair of internal explosions to blow the Zoid backwards onto its hind legs, which lost their purchase in the dune the Helcat had been standing on, sending it tumbling down the long slope until it landed in a heap, smoking and sparking. The demise of their cousin startled the other two Helcats into paying more attention to Leon, which cost them dearly. Two Fierce Lion pilots took advantage of the distraction and charged with their shields activated, battering the two Helcats to the ground before each unloaded a full salvo of missiles into the downed Zoids, putting them out of commission for good.

"Nice work Six and Seven," Leon commended. He glanced at his monitors and took stock of the battle. The remaining four Helcats had been dispatched by the rest of his squadron, which, aside from Bit's fiasco, had sustained no losses. The Scout group on the other hand had lost a pilot. Scout Three had not survived the explosion of his Guysack's tail mounted beam cannon.

"Well," said Leon, "All that's left is to gather up our cargo. Good going Lions, let's go home."

He made his way back to the hidden city, intent on marking the location of the statue for the excavating team that was en route to their location. He found nothing to mark. The statue had been melted by laser fire, its face completely missing and the small city at its feet smashed to rubble. The plaque that had adorned the statue's edge was also absent.

"Dammit!" Leon cursed, "We've been had! Those Helcats were just a diversion!"

Bit piped up on the comm, having just restarted the Liger's systems. "Lead, it looks like that plaque you were talking about has been cut away. Look, you can see marks from a cutting laser."

Indeed there were a few scorch marks that were situated in too even a pattern to be from errant laser fire.

"You took pictures right?" Bit asked.

"Yeah, good thing I did huh?" Leon said, still poring over the possibilities of what had just happened.

"Can I see them?" Bit asked, this time over a private line so the rest of the squad couldn't hear.

"Why do you want to see them?" he asked.

Bit paused a second before answering, "Because the Liger wants to see them."

Leon's eyebrows raised at this, "I suppose so, so long as you don't tell anyone or distribute the files." He pressed a button on the console, transmitting the information to Bit's battle computer.

"They aren't anything legible, I couldn't make out what it said," Leon informed Bit.

Bit's voice sounded amazed, "Well Leon, the Liger is deciphering it right now."

"What?" Leon exclaimed.

"He's posting the translation right on my screen. He says it's Ancient Zoidian. I'll transmit the text to you."

Leon waited for a moment as text began to appear on his screen. His eyes widened as he read it.

"Out of The Valley shall come forth a law  
And the word of the Zoid Eve from Eveopolis  
Nation shall not raise sword against nation  
And they shall not learn war anymore  
For the mouth of the Zoid Eve hath spoken"

_What could this mean?_

_

* * *

_

_A dark object moved silently away from the still-fresh battlezone, its noise suppressers and scrubbing gear all but masking its silent exit. The moons, now coming out of alignment, cast a wan glow across its black armour, gold highlights glinting, orange eyes glowing in the darkness. It padded silently over the dunes until it reached a cave where a stealth Gustav lay hidden beneath a camouflage tarp. The pilot inside smirked at his accomplishment, having completed his objective right under the nose of the New Helic Military. It had been so simple, create a diversion, move in under cover and capture the objective, destroying what was left on the way out. It had been a simple task for him, to locate what could be the key to ending the war in favour of the Guylos Empire._

_Waiting, for your modern messiah  
To take away all the hatred  
That darkens the light in your eye  
Still awaiting I_

_Brad Hunter grinned as he parked the Shadowfox on the Gustav's trailer, preparing it for transport back to base. The war was going to end soon, and by its conclusion, he'd have made a name for himself._

_

* * *

_

Author Notes: Wow! That took longer than I wanted, sorry sorry sorry. I hope you liked the little Bit of action and some history I threw in there. Looks like General Winters thinks that appeasing Guylos will lead to disaster. He does seem a little fanatical doesn't he? Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter and get ready for a groundbreaking chapter next chapter! Later y'all! Kegger007 out!


	3. Awaken

Neo Slash Zero: Believe

Chapter 2: Awaken

Author notes: ARRRRG! This took even longer! Forgiveness please, everyone. Hmm....not too many reviewers yet eh? I thought that I would finally get some more...I guess people don't like long chapters anymore. Oh well, the reviewers I did get were very kind in their reviews! Thanks for the support guys!

BlackHole Army CO - I'm glad you like the character portrayals, it's good that they are in character. Tragedy.....supernatural...thinking eh? All will be revealed in time, but don't worry, I won't go killing everyone.

Mercenary Pen - Hey, we're all in this together, and all writing is good writing. It shows creativity. Leon is being critical because that's his personality. He has always been a somewhat serious competitor when it came to Bit, and now the military has reinforced his serious side because of its protocols. I wouldn't call Leon's outburst at the briefing insubordination, but Leon was out of line...maybe General Winters can't afford to punish one of his better commanding officers? I wasn't exactly going to use the conversion armours heavily or at all, but, you've given me an idea . Yeah rock music rocks! lol. And I've read your Chaos fic...nice to see so far. Keep it up.

BladesDeath - I'm torn between this fact. Does the Liger have an organoid? Or just an organoid type system like Thomas' Shubaltz fake system? Hmm...either way, Bit screwed up during that battle and yeah, Leon's gonna have some words with him lol. Yup, Brad was silent for the whole chapter, so you knew he had to show up later. Do you think he knows who he was fighting against there? Or was he too far away to see? Hey thanks for the feedback on the fic BHC writes, it's nice to know people like it!

Zero Stalker - Hey! I'm glad you're intrigued. Now if only I could get some more reviewers! Thanks for the review!

Steam Detective - Thanks Knuckles! And it's nice to see that you're awake lol! I'm glad you see my WWII influence in there with the appeasement stuff, that's nice to be noticed. I'm a huge history buff. Don't worry about taking long, so long as you review I'm happy. Thanks for the info, it will help, and I'll get Knuckles that beer, no matter how hard you try to stop it, muahahah!

Disclaimer: Don't own Zoids yo! Nor do I own Disturbed dog! I have their album, and just bought a Switchfoot and a Shinedown CD! Yessss!

Now! On to the story!

* * *

"Just what the hell did you think you were doing!"

It was the next day at the New Helic Military's Zerros Base, situated just off the coast of the Zerros ocean, connected by a system of canals and roads, allowing easy access for both land and aquatic Zoids to deploy out into the field. The skies always seemed to be calm and inviting, so training and flying aerial Zoids became a main feature of the base, though it still remained a major staging point for the Republican forces on the Eastern Continent.

"Look, I was just trying to get the battle underway!"

The hanger technicians were busy scurrying overtop of various Zoids, either repairing, reloading, or readying Zoids for launch into action. Several techs were poring over schematics for Guysack units, figuring which parts to use to help repair the Guysacks of the scouting unit that had manned the mission the previous night. They didn't repair Zoids per se, but actually aided in the Zoid's natural healing process, which fixed battle damage over certain amounts of time, depending on the extent of the wound. They were arguing over whether or not to scrap Scout Three's Guysack, as it had become mostly wreckage when its tail mounted beam cannon exploded, though the Zoid itself had not died. The current topic of discussion was of whether to perform the Zoid version of euthanasia; the merciful killing of the Zoid to end its suffering.

Stripped of life, alone  
in the midst of something that I  
want to play with your evil inside

The main question had been whether or not it was immoral to do so. Of course, to kill a human was immoral, but then that was the reality of war. Lives had to be sacrificed to end the conflict and bring about peace.

"You could have gotten yourself killed!"

The techs eventually decided against that course of action, opting instead to put the Zoid in dry dock and begin the long arduous repair process, citing that it would be more expensive to replace the Zoid. The group then turned to survey the damages done to the Fierce Lion Squadron. The majority of the battle scarring had been superficial nicks and dents, and they noted the major task would be to reload the weapons on each Zoid. The Red Blade Liger in particular had been immaculately pristine in its condition after the melee, showing barely a sign of having been in the middle of it. In fact, most of the squadron had escaped harm. Most of the squadron. One Zoid had been damaged enough to require attention, having a torn booster engine that would cause problems if started up again. The Liger Zero growled at the techs as it looked through the window in the hanger office, watching its pilot, who was currently being reprimanded by his commanding officer.

"I think I've proved my skill to you long ago. How about when I won the Royal Cup?" Bit pointed out.

Wanting, letting go  
Of what never could be again  
Lost and alone

Leon rolled his eyes, "Please Bit, that was over three years ago. And besides, this isn't some tournament battle. The skills required for one are not exactly the ones that work in a real fight!"

"I think I know my own skills Leon!" Bit fired back, refusing to back down in the argument. He had been the best before, it was the least of his skills to progress easy in battle and turn the tide against superior numbers.  
Leon turned back to the conversation, having paused a moment to see how the techs were doing with the squadron's repair. "You think you know your own skills?" he questioned, "You don't even know what that Liger will do half the time, just going along with what he does because it benefits you in battle!"

Bit narrowed his sea green eyes, "Oh, so you think I can't pilot the Liger huh? Let's not forget who the Liger ejected when a certain person tried to pilot it."

Leon ground his teeth together in frustration. "The fact that only you can actually pilot the Liger is well documented. Still, remember how you knew nothing about piloting Zoids? I seem to recall you smashing your face off the cockpit restraints."

Bit chuckled sarcastically, "Oh yeah, big deal. Is this goin' anywhere?"

Leon threw his hands up, "You used the Liger as a crutch since the beginning! For all we know, your skill could still just be the Liger compensating!"

Bit grew angry at this, "Well excuse me, _sir, _but it sounds like someone is being jealous!"

Leon got a dangerous look in his eye, "Well, _Private_,how did you conceive that notion?"

Bit glared at Leon, "Look, you've been on me ever since I was moved into this squad, I wanna know why."

Leon sighed, "Is that it? I can easily tell you." He began ticking points off on his fingers, "First, you need to learn to follow orders, I know in the Blitz Team you were used to doing your own thing with little regard for tactics."

"Yeah, so," Bit said.

Imprisoned now inside your mind  
With the way you tried to destroy me again  
You were waiting and living for no one

"So this is the military. Sure you can duck tactics when you're only fighting three opponents, but try pulling a stunt like that against thirty. It won't happen." Leon ticked another finger off, "Second, I don't want to appear to play favouritism, seeing as how we are already familiar with each other and also because of your fame as a Zoid pilot."

Bit's jaw dropped, "What? That's ridiculous and you know it!"

Leon paused, raising an eyebrow, "Is it? Just so you know, I've fought alongside these guys for a while now, and I've noticed that anyone of them could fight me or you to a standstill, of that I am sure." He ticked a third and final point off his hand, "Finally, I don't know if you realize this, but people are going to be watching you."

Bit looked surprised, "Why would people watch me?"

"Look, didn't you ever wonder why you got moved up so fast?" Leon questioned.

Bit frowned, "No, I figured they just knew how good a pilot I was. That's what General Winters said anyways."

Leon sighed again. "These people see you as a quick fix, a hot pilot who is going to pull them out of a jam. But what you don't realize is that General Winters has ulterior motives behind his choice."

Bit leaned forward expectantly, "And those would be...?"

Leon pointed at Bit, "General Winters wanted to keep you out of the hands of the Empire, or more simply, the Liger Zero."

"What!?"

"He feels that the Liger may have within it a secret to victory." Leon provided.

Bit groaned, "So it wasn't even me that got me here?"

Leon nodded, "That's correct. And remember how the Backdraft hunted you for the Liger? Well it'll be just like that, but with the whole Guylos Empire. That's why you are in my squadron, to stay protected and to learn to fight conservatively. If you Command System Freeze like that again, nothing can stop the Empire from walking out onto the battlefield, shooting you in the cockpit, and taking the Liger back to their labs for study."

Bit looked shell shocked. Was it true? Had he been chosen just because of the threat he possessed if the enemy got ahold of him? Leon had certainly been correct in his reasoning, it had seemed a little too strange; his quick advancement in the New Helic Military. The stone cold facts had been laid out by Leon in front of him and that thought galvanized him to his current situation. He was the same as everybody else. There would be no special treatment here, no second tries either.

**With the way you tried  
To completely refuse all your life  
Feed on your nothing  
You'll never live up to me**

He had tried a foolish stunt, and almost paid for it with his life. A stray shot from one of the enemy Helcats could have easily pierced his cockpit windows while he was Command System Frozen, burning through him and instantly ending his life. Then it was a simple matter for either the Imperial or Republic armies to hose out the interior and stick a new pilot in the cockpit. All he was, all that he mattered for, was to be a dangerous weapon, or more importantly, for the Liger to be a dangerous weapon. That was probably why they wanted his conversion armours so badly, if only to add to his arsenal.

_Well, I'll show them,_ Bit resolved. He would become a better soldier, one capable of following orders and producing results. One capable of dodging enemy fire and helping out his squadmates.

_One capable of winning the battle._

Leon noticed Bit had been silent for a while. He cleared his throat and indicated outside of the window, "You'd better get to the Liger. It doesn't seem to want to have the techs work on it."

"You're right," Bit mumbled, a troubled look on his face as he left the office.

Leon's eyebrows lifted in surprise. _I didn't have that effect on him did I? I guess I'm better at disciplining my troops than I thought._

He sat back down at his desk, setting about the task of writing a letter to the family of the pilot of Scout Guysack Three, explaining to a family why their husband and father wasn't coming home.

* * *

The New Helic Operations Room was usually a hectic place, with the various noises and clicks of computer operation and the din of an array of techs and aids talking to each other in hushed tones while others strode throughout the room, distributing papers to superior officers, or simply bringing coffee to those who needed it. However, during the wee hours of the morning, activity usually dropped off to nothing, save for this night, where a lone computer screen lit the darkness. The shadow of a slouched form could be seen in front of the glowing screen, wearily typing away at the keyboard.

_I could sure use a coffee right now, _thought Jamie Hermeros, Ensign and military analyst to General Trexen Winters. He yawned and continued his work, scratching his head as he looked into possible leads and connections between the Guylos Military's recent movements and the even more concurrent discovery and loss of an ancient plaque, one that had been determined to be ancient Zoidian in origin. Luckily for his research, and for the Helic Republic, Leon Toros had the foresight to take pictures of the plaque before bringing in the excavation team. Then, in an even more brilliant stroke of luck, Bit Cloud's Liger Zero had been able to decipher the writings on the plaque, saving the decryption team at least a weeks worth of work. Unfortunately, besides what the words said, they had nothing to go on, no direction or location was given in the words themselves. It seemed that the rest of the monument must have contained directions to wherever the plaque was talking about, as it appeared that the Empire was on the move.

_But where?_

He rubbed his eyes blearily, making some final notes on the computer. The Imperial forces had been seen moving over too many separate routes to pinpoint exactly where they going as of yet. But as soon as they neared their destination they would have to reveal their final location; the location of the secret contained within the Zoidian ruins from Lake Eve.

_Until then, we'll have to be on high alert._

Jamie made a note to let General Winters know as soon as morning came upon the base.

_Ugh, _he groaned, _It'll be morning in three hours._

* * *

The dull rumble of Zoids shambling across the ground broke the morning stillness that had once settled across the river valley as various Gustavs moved rubble from a large excavation site at the narrowest point in the valley. Over two dozen Iguan units, the Imperial answer to the Republican Godos, were working at the valley walls and floor, utilizing their specially equipped cutting lasers to free large boulders before moving them away to be taken for transport to the dumping site. All of this activity occurred under the watchful eye of an Iron Kong, its red armour glowing in the morning sun's rays.

"Hey!" the pilot inside cried indignantly as one of the Iguans dropped a bolder onto another's foot, causing the leg joint to buckle and spark. "My father paid for those units, so be careful!"

Awaken you  
With a little evil inside

"Yes Major Champ, so very sorry sir," the pilot apologized profusely.

Major Harry Champ, son of the wealthy Zoid manufacturer and Imperial citizen Lord Garrington 'Gary' Champ, sighed. _Good help is so hard to find these days._

He had been put in charge of the mining operations largely in part of the fact that his father's Champ Foundation had donated much of the mining Zoids and equipment to the Imperial cause, not to mention countless other Zoids and munitions for the Guylos Empire's military. Unfortunately, the men he had been given to work with were not of the hard working, efficient caliber that he had come to know in his servant robots. Many were washouts of the Imperial Military training program, others were simply just those under arrest for various small offenses while serving in the military, finding themselves relegated to work details as punishment. In any event, the men were poor at best and progress was slow, which didn't bode well for him. The Empire had been cracking the whip on his operation, urging him to the utmost speed.

_I don't even know what I'm looking for!_

He turned his Iron Kong towards the moving line of Gustavs, making sure they, being piloted by actual transport pilots, were at least making progress.

"Slow moving as usual huh?"

Harry jumped in his seat, startled by the Shadowfox that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere next to him.

"I told you not to do that to me!" he cried in alarm.

Brad Hunter's face appeared on his cockpit screen, "Lighten up Harry, Jesus, you're so uptight."

Harry narrowed his eyes, "That's Major Champ to you Hunter."

Brad leaned forward, "Oh really? And why should I call you Major?"  
Harry grinned, "Because not only am I the man destined to be King, I'm also your commanding officer out here."

Brad rolled his eyes, _You're only a Major because of your daddy's donations to the military._ "Why should I obey your orders?" he said aloud.

"Because you and your squad were assigned to my group to protect the mining operations, so that makes me your superior."

"Whatever you say," Brad replied flippantly.

"Good," Harry said, "Now where are the rest of your men?"

Brad looked surprised, "You mean you haven't heard?"

Harry frowned, "Heard what?"  
"My men are currently meeting up with the rest of the Colonel's forces who are already on their way here," he informed Harry.

"Why would the Colonel come here?"

Brad groaned inwardly, _You moron,_ "Don't you know what we're sitting on?"

Harry looked confused. It had never occurred to him to ask what he was searching for in the valley.

"What are we looking for?" he asked Brad.

Brad's face looked off into the distance before turning back to Harry.

Feed on your nothing  
You'll never live up to me

"The key to winning this war."

* * *

"The key to winning this war, we believe, is to stop the Guylos forces at this point of the campaign," the voice of General Trexen Winters boomed from his place at the head of the same briefing room that had been used to brief the commanders involved in the Lake Eve mission.

He continued, "And that is because they appear to be at their most vulnerable state at this time." He gestured to Jamie with his right arm, "I will let Ensign Hermeros elaborate further."

He took a seat as Jamie walked over to the podium, "Thank you General." He adjusted some papers before continuing, "After a week of movement, the Guylos forces have begun to stop moving and we have been able to locate the area where they have been massing."

He hit a button on the controller built into the podium, and the familiar screen descended from the ceiling. He hit another button and a map appeared on the screen.

"Realizing that the recent deployments of Imperial forces has correlated directly with the theft of the Lake Eve artifacts, our Intelligence department has narrowed down the location of Guylos troops to a single area."

Jamie hit a few more buttons and the map began to zoom in over a certain area, enlarging until a river valley could be seen.

"This river valley is where funds, troops, and equipment have been flowing to over the past week. After consulting highly encrypted archive files, we have determined that this valley has existed in our books under a more notable name: The Valley of the Rarehertz."

I've stricken you  
I don't want to live with the lie

Astonished murmurs went up around the room, which was surprising, as the fabled Valley of the Rarehertz had long since been considered a myth, a story who's actually fact had been lost to the sands of time and the battle tales handed down by the veterans of the Chaotic Century.

Jamie waited until the noise died down before continuing, "Now I'm sure all of you have heard the legends surrounding that place, and with Guylos' recent activities, we can at least confirm the veracity of some of those rumours."

Leon raised his hand, "What about the fabled Rarehertz effect?"

Jamie nodded, "Lieutenant Toros' question is a valid one. The Rarehertz effect has been documented in other areas on Planet Zi."

He hit the button once more, a picture of a glowing metallic rock formation appearing on the screen.

"This," he said, "Is a metallic mineral known as Zoid Magnite and is known to be responsible for small Rarehertz pulses when found in significant quantities. It has been determined that the Valley of the Rarehertz used to contain vast quantities of this mineral, but for reasons unknown, deposits have all but disappeared."

A Commander voiced his thoughts, "What does the Rarehertz effect do?"

"The Rarehertz effect occurs in pulses, shorting out all systems on any Zoid within the area of the pulse." Jamie elaborated, "It has also been known to disable conventional electrical systems as well, though this has not been confirmed in all cases."

Feed on your nothing  
And you'll never live up to me

As Jamie continued the briefing, General Winters sat back, steel gray eyes glinting thoughtfully.

_Once we stop the Empire from utilizing what they've found, we can turn the tide of the war against them._

He leaned back in his sit as his analyst Ensign Hermeros went over the finer points of the plan of attack.

* * *

A small rivulet of water ran along the cavern floor as its source, a slow drip emanating from stalactites on the roof of the cave, filled the air with a dull noise. The sound of the water's passing echoed forlornly through the cavern, bouncing off the many walls and columns as it traveled until it reached the furthest limits of the cave, dying out in the process. Beyond the still image of a petrified waterfall, a pair of broken down walls marked the entrance to a sanctuary untouched by the citizens of the Planet Zi in over two millennia. Within the sacred walls a presence came into consciousness.  
  
**Awaken you, you know  
Can't live up to me**

This was not the first awakening that had been felt throughout the cave. Over two thousands years in the past the ancient consciousness had risen from slumber, during the days of the ancient Zoidians.

I've stricken you  
Feed on your nothing  
**And you'll never live up to me**

The cycle had begun again, bringing the force to life from eternal slumber. Eyes slowly opened, senses revealed themselves. The mistakes of the past would soon be rectified once more. It would soon be time. She smiled once again.

* * *

The hanger buzzed once more with activity, the pre-mission noise all but rendering conversation useless. Leon walked with a purpose towards his Red Blade Liger when a hand on his shoulder halted his movement. He turned to come face to face with the red haired, gray eyed visage of General Trexen Winters.

He promptly saluted, "Sir, my squad is mission ready."

The General smiled, "At ease Lieutenant, I just wanted to give you some last minute instructions regarding the mission."

Leon raised an eyebrow, "Sir?"

"I need you to protect Private Cloud," he elaborated, "I don't want him to fall in this battle, or in any battle. His Zoid is too valuable an asset to lose."

Leon hid his surprise, _So the General IS just trying to keep him out of Imperial hands!_ "I will fulfill your orders to the best of my ability sir."

Winters smiled, "Good then." He saluted, "Good luck."

Leon saluted back, "Thank you sir."

With that he turned away and dashed off to his Liger, conflicting thoughts entering his head.

_Bit looked troubled, like he wanted to actually do good out there._

He frowned as he climbed up the ladder a tech helpfully set for him to get into the cockpit. He sat in the seat, relishing the comfortable feel of the cockpit chair that had served him so well throughout all of his battles.

_How do I protect him while letting him fight his own battles?_

He had a bad feeling about this mission.

* * *

The sun settled low on the horizon, the waning heat of the day causing the air just above the ground to shimmer and bend. Insects rolled and danced in the air, chasing each other in a gentle ballet while a small snake could be seen slithering between the cracks in the rocks. A group of twenty-four Zoids were working diligently to break through the canyon wall, and further up ahead a platoon of over two hundred Zoids could be seen, ranging in size from Molga and Rev Raptors to Lightning Saix and Dark Horns. Squads of Zabats and Redlers flitted overhead, leaving vapour trails that crisscrossed the skies.

A dull rumble caught the ears of the waiting soldiers. Shapes began to appear on the horizon, blurred in the heated air, looming larger as they neared. A whistling sound filled the air as the various Imperial pilots looked around anxiously. They did not wait long. A single three hundred millimeter shell landed within a rank of Molga units, blowing apart the two hapless Zoids it happened to land directly upon. The caterpillar like Zoids around the blast zone inched quickly away, avoiding any residual damage from the shrapnel.

The gauntlet had been dropped, and all hell broke loose as long range cannons from both sides ripped across the vast battlefield, fingers of destruction probing enemy lines, destroying whatever they touched. The battle was joined in the air as Zabats and Redlers met up with squads of Pteras and Raynos units from the Republic side, roiling in an intense cloud of firepower, dipping, dodging, and shooting down each other in an aerial dance.

Leon's hands tightened around the cockpit controls as he keyed his comm unit. "Alright Lions let's do this thing. Our assignment is to hold off their melee attackers while the big boomers take out their back ranks."

A chorus of affirmatives met his orders as he keyed the comm again, "Two, on me,"

"As ordered," came Bit's voice. Leon had changed the squad designations, making Bit his partner, citing that it would be easier for Bit to learn the ways of warfare if he were paired with Leon.

"Attention Fierce Lion Squadron," General Winters' voice said, "Advance melee units are heading for the line of Cannon Tortoises. Hold them off until we can move some heavy attack units your way."

"Affirmative General," said Leon. "Let's go Lions!"

The squad of twelve Ligers, ten Shield, on Red Blade, and the fabled Liger Zero broke towards the right flank of the Republic forces, dodging in and around cannon fire, laser beams, and guided missiles. He looked at the heads up sensor display, noting the line of Rev Raptors heading straight for the Tortoises' positions.

_Twenty-four of them. Not good._

His group hit the Raptors at an oblique angle, coming from the side and opening fire with his dual impact cannon. The rest of the Shield Ligers did the same, triple impact cannon fire ripping across the hundred and fifty meters separating them from the Raptors. High impact shells ripped into the armour on seven of the enemy Zoids, taking five out immediately while two more fell after a few more shots hit them in the leg stabilizers. The remaining seventeen Zoids turned, and like a pack of dogs, rushed Leon's squad. They extended their scythes, utilizing the ion chargers that came back mounted on Rev Raptors to increase the blades' cutting strength.

Leon smirked, _Bull-headed commander, head on doesn't work against my men._

"Heads up Lions, attack plan beta," he commanded.

The Fierce Lions began to accelerate towards the Rev Raptors, looking as if they wanted to embrace the razor's kiss from the Raptor's blades. Unfortunately for the enemy, the Shield Ligers deployed their shields moments before contact, causing the first ten Raptors to snap their blades against the shield energy before being knocked to the ground by the charging Ligers. Leon and Bit followed, Leon slicing as many Raptors as he could, severed arms and legs being joined by the occasional head section. Bit merely pounced from Zoid to Zoid, driving their faces into the ground and putting them into Command System Freeze.

_Why isn't he firing for the easy kill spots?_ Leon wondered.

After the initial head to head pass, the numbers looked promising for his squad. With the entire Fierce Lion Squadron intact and only seven Rev Raptors remaining, Leon took stock of the situation, smiling at the other commander's foolhardiness. The final seven Raptors broke rank and began to retreat back to their lines. Leon spurred his Liger after them, the rest of the Fierce Lions following. With any more luck, this battle would be over soon.

* * *

"Why haven't you finished yet?" came Brad Hunter's irritated voice.

"Hey, I'm the Major here, show some respect," Harry Champ's haughty voice replied. The Iguan units had met up with a particularly tough layer of rock, slowing their progress while the battle still raged onwards in the distance.

"Why should I?" Brad said.

"Well, Mr. Hunter, I believe I defeated you a while back in a Zoid battle. I think that proves my superiority over you."

Brad ground his teeth together, "I recommend you not bring that up," he said between clenched teeth.

"Or what?" Harry laughed, "You'll stop me?"

Brad growled, "No, I'll kick the-"

A new voice interrupted over the comm unit, "Sir, we've broken through the wall!"

"Good," said Harry, "Now it's time to see what this is all about."

The Shadowfox stepped across the Iron Kong's path, blocking its progress.

"Hunter, what are you doing?"

There isn't a thing that I can do  
Watching this whole thing just wash away  
Making me long

The laser vulcan on the Fox's back opened fire, spewing rapid laser bursts all along the legs of Harry's Iron Kong. Soon the knee joints snapped, causing the Kong to fall prone to the ground.

"What is this!" Harry cried angrily.

"I'm doing you a favour. Stay out of my battle, you're not fit for fighting anyway." said Brad as he bounded off for the cave entrance, scattering the unarmed Iguan mining units with a spray of vulcan fire.

* * *

"Oh shit!"

Lion Three's Shield Liger all but exploded under the extended fire of two Hiblit Vulcan cannons. They had followed the retreating Raptors right into a trap lain by a squad of four Dark Horns, who quickly opened fire, taking Leon's men by surprise.

"Evasive action," he called as the squad broke off into two man elements in an effort to disperse the massive weaponry that the Dark Horns brought to bear. He sent his Blade Liger into an evasive dance as shells ripped up the sand all around him.

"Missile spread on my mark!" he commanded. The squadron began to move itself into a net-like formation, surrounding the four Dark Horns as they pumped out massive destruction from their heavy weapons. Once they were in position, Leon called, "Mark!" Twin rocket boxes flipped outwards on the Shield Ligers, each quickly letting fly with eight rockets per box, for a total of sixteen rockets per Liger, one hundred and forty-four for the entire squadron.

The Dark Horn was one of the Empire's heavy Zoids, capable of withstanding intense fire and dishing it out at the same time. It had one of the best armour plating systems of all the Imperial Zoids. Unfortunately, the armour did little against one hundred and forty-four rockets. Fire blossomed along the flanks of the Horns, quickly engulfing the quartet in a flowering explosion that blinded Leon momentarily. As the smoke cleared, a shape began to stagger out of the blast zone, vulcan cannon beginning to spin. That was until Bit flew through the air, using his Strike Laser Claw to bring the remaining Dark Horn to the ground.

_Why only attack the leg joints?_ Leon wondered.

He quickly disregarded that curious action, it had worked after all, and the remaining Dark Horn had been taken out of the battle. A buzzing comm system interrupted his musings as General Winters face appeared on the screen once more.

"Lieutenant, we've just received word that the Empire has breached the valley walls, they may have found something. I want you and your squad to beat them to it. Go now!" he commanded.

"Sir!" was Leon's only reply.

"Alright Lions listen up, we're gonna bee-line for that cave that the Imperial forces have opened up, got it?"

Nothing but affirmatives greeted his ears as he turned the Liger to run further into the valley towards where the mining site had been located. His squad, now only eleven strong, dodged between mortar fire and missiles flying between either side as melee units from both armies mixed it up all around them. Leon ducked to the left as a mangled Command Wolf landed beside him, the product of a sustained barrage from a team of Heldigunners. His squad continued onwards, managing to bypass the main battle zone and avoid any major attention. As they neared the valley wall, a large burrowed hole could be seen.

"Okay team, let's move in through that entrance, before any Imperial units spot us," Leon cautioned.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened.

_Why can't I get a break out here!_ Leon groaned to himself, as a squad of eight Zaber Fangs made their way out of the cave entrance to face his forces.

He keyed his comm unit, "We don't have time for these guys. Four, take the rest of the squad and deal with these them, Bit you come with me."

"I hear ya Lead," came Bit's reply.

He bolted directly through the enemy group with Bit close behind, startling the Zaber Fang pilots, who were too surprised to move. Leon smiled grimly as gun fire and explosions lit the air behind him as he entered the cave.

_Good luck Lions._

* * *

Brad slowly paced his Shadowfox through the large expanse of a cave that had been revealed by the Iguan miners. He wasn't alone. A squad of six Helcats were hidden, cloaked and waiting throughout the cave. He was certain something lay hidden within the cave, but he wasn't sure what it would be until he found it.

_Regardless, it will be MY find, and no on else's._

He wasn't in this mission to help the Empire win, nor was he in it to end the war. He was in it for both the money and the recognition that he would get for turning the tide of the war. Finally, he would have his own recognition, not simply for being apart of a larger team that hinged on the success of others. This would be his own discovery, his own personal triumph.

His sensors beeped, the multisensor unit indicating the presence of two other Zoids. He brought up their energy signatures on his main monitor, the Fox growling slightly.

_It knows these two Zoids!_

The image of a Red Blade Liger and the Liger Zero appeared on his screen.

_Leon and Bit are here? And they fight for the Republic? Shit._

He began to move his Zoid around a pillar, readying his systems for a hasty retreat.

_I could've taken one of them maybe, but not both at once._

Then he realized that they were here to take his prize away from him, his recognition. The thing that he had worked so hard to obtain over the time he spent away from the Blitz Team was within his reach, and now it would be taken away by the one man who did this all to him.

_I can't let Bit do this to me again!_

**There isn't a thing that I can do  
Watching this whole thing just wash away  
Making me long  
Making you strong**

He sent a message to his Helcat allies to attack once he was out of the cave. He activated the stealth systems on the Shadowfox and made his way along the walls towards the cave entrance.

_I'm sorry, but this is my future, and I can't let you ruin it again._

* * *

Fully cognisant of the surrounding caves and the battle that was being waged outside the valley cave, the ancient presence readied itself for something that hadn't been seen on Zi for some time. It felt the ancient energies building behind it and the small skirmish being waged just outside its front doors. It would begin shortly, and then redemption would become a commodity all but foreign to the human aggressors.

* * *

"Do you see anything?" Bit asked Leon as the followed in the Liger Zero.

"Not yet," came Leon's negative reply.

They continued further and deeper into the dark cave, the only illumination coming from the spot lights built into the heads of either Zoid. A small mountain of rock tumbled to the ground from Bit's right, causing him to jump slightly.

"Lead," he keyed up his comm, "I think we have company."

A pair of Helcats decloaked directly in their aft scopes, opening fire before they were even completely visible.

"Move it Two!" Leon commanded as he and Bit ran further into the cave before turning around to face their attackers. Cannon fire screamed through the air all around them as the dodged behind a jutting wall to formulate their plan of attack. But before they could stop for a moment, four more Helcats made themselves visible, opening fire with a flurry of blasts that landed all around Leon and Bit, who were stuck in the small space behind the wall.

"I can't move out of here," Bit said angrily.

"I know Two, our Zoids are too big," Leon flinched as shots sparked the ground in front of him. "We'll have to continue further into the cave."

They broke into a run, dodging fire as it hailed all around them, until they reached what looked like a gate of some kind.

"What is that?" Bit said astounded.

Leon thought a moment before replying, "Maybe it's what we're here to find?" he suggested.

Their conversation was cut short as the Helcats rounded the corner, guns blazing. The Liger Zero jumped to the left while the Blade Liger jumped to the right. He and Bit crisscrossed paths until they reached the Helcats, Leon extending his blades on the first pass, catching two right across the cockpit as he ran by. Both Zoids fell to the ground sparking, their pilots either dead or incapacitated. He turned in time to see Bit finishing with his first opponent, Strike Laser Claw blazing as it ripped through the back legs of the enemy Zoid, rendering it inoperable.

_Why is he taking so long to beat them?_

Then he noticed one Helcat decloak behind Bit, cannons primed and ready to fire.

"Two! Behind you!" he called.

The Liger Zero whipped around, claws blazing in a swipe that caught the Helcat directly in the cockpit, crushing the glass and sending the Zoid to the ground limply. Leon turned and caught another Helcat with his back feet before turning his Zoid around and putting the Helcat out of commission with a pair of shots from his dual impact cannon.

He whirled back, seeing the Liger Zero frozen over the prone body of the Helcat it had just downed.

"Two, what are you doing?" Leon questioned.

Bit remained silent, as did the Liger, both regarding the downed enemy in front if them.

"Bit? What's wrong?"

Bit's reply was quiet, "I killed him."

"Huh?"

"That pilot, I crushed the cockpit. He's dead."

Leon's eyes widened in realization, _The kid's never had to kill someone before. That's why he was fighting the way he was, he was trying not to kill anyone._

"Bit, don't worry about it. It was either you or him, and I'm certainly more glad that you are alive."

Bit remained silent for a moment before speaking, "What would Leena think of me? How could she love a killer?"

"Jesus Bit, she's not like that and you know it," Leon said, surveying the damage done during the battle. He paused for a second, curiously counting the number of downed enemies.

_Weren't there six Helcats?_

Almost following his thoughts, a Helcat decloaked beside Bit, who was still in a daze over what he had done earlier. Leon reacted on instinct, sending his Liger into motion before he knew what was happening. He knocked the Liger Zero out of the way as a pair of cannon shots streaked through the air towards them, Leon returning fire with his impact cannon. The Helcat went down as the shots hit it in the chin, but not before its cannon fire hit on either side of Leon's cockpit, throwing the Blade Liger to the ground in a Command System Freeze. Leon felt the heat from the blast as it scorched the side of his face.

Bit snapped out of his daze, "Leon, are you alright?"

Leon checked the Liger's systems, "Yeah, aside from my face, I'm okay. The Liger's frozen though."

Just then a rumble filled the cave, shaking it down to the very bedrock. To Leon, it felt like someone had fired the Gravity Cannon directly into the cave they were in. Rocks began to tumble free from the ceiling, several large boulders landing on the remains of the downed Helcats, crushing them further.

"We've got to get out of here, this whole place is coming down!" Bit yelled, "Get out of your Zoid, I've got room in my cockpit if we squeeze."

Leon agreed, "Yeah, I'm coming out." He hit the button for the cockpit release. Nothing happened.

"I can't open my cockpit!" he yelled.

"Try manually opening it!" Bit said hurriedly.

Leon hit the manual hatch lever on the corner of the cockpit glass. Again, nothing happened. He grew panicked as he kicked at the cockpit glass, but it wouldn't budge. The Helcat's shots had hit the cockpit seals, melting them in place. He was stuck until someone could cut him out with a laser saw.

"Bit, I'm stuck," he said, his voice beginning to sound panicked. More boulders fell around them, some beginning to block the way towards the exit of the cave.

"Hold still," said Bit, "I'm gonna try and cut the glass away."

Another tremor violently shook the cave, one of the near walls coming down completely, cutting off one of the larger exit paths out of the cave. Leon sighed resignedly.

"No," he said.

"What!?"

"I said no," Leon explained, "We don't have time, you'll only be crushed if you stay."

"I can't do that Leon, you know that," said Bit angrily.

"Just go!" ordered Leon as rocks crashed down onto their Zoids. "Go now or I will self-destruct this Zoid, and then we'll both die."

"I don't care!"

"Does Leena care?"

This rocked Bit on his heels. He remained speechless as Leon continued. "You have to live. For Leena's sake, you have to live. Go now!"

The Liger Zero slowly turned away from Leon breaking into a slow run.

"Take care of her," Leon called after Bit.

"I will," Bit promised, tears streaming down his face as he left what felt like his brother behind to die.

Leon watched the Liger disappear as a hail of boulders and jagged rocks obscured the rest of the open paths out of the cave. He smiled sadly, knowing he had led a good life for the time he had been on Planet Zi. He then noticed a glowing light beginning to build further down into the cave between the two door-like pillars. The light grew in intensity until it was almost blinding. A loud clap and a flash of light blew throughout the cave as a large section of the cave roof collapsed onto the Red Blade Liger. The wave of light rushed throughout the cave, collapsing the remaining walls as it headed towards Leon.

_So very beautiful, _he thought as the light washed over him.

* * *

Author note: Ha! Damn that took much longer than I wanted to, and the song didn't fit as well as I had hoped, but what're ya gonna do huh? Nothing! Cuz I'm the author! Anyways, hope you don't mind the semi-cliffhanger, well it's not really a cliff hanger, but it still might bug some of ya! That was a pretty long chapter though! I hope you enjoyed the fighting and the twist, and don't forget to read and review!!!!!! REVIEW NOW!!!


	4. Believe

**Neo Slash Zero: Believe**

_Chapter 3: Believe_

Author Notes: Damn that was a long gap between chapters...sorry? Wow! I got a lot of reviews last chapter! Well, at least a lot for me! Thanks to all who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! And I'm glad none hated the way the last chapter ended! Now to the reviewers.

**Mercenary Pen - **Rock on man! I suppose Gen. Winters could've been more of a hardass, but this is my story, so he has to be nice lol. You've got some funny notions as to what's gonna happen next, but keep guessing! I believe that some Lightning Saix's Lightning Cannons are mounted on a swivel, so they _could_ theoretically blast the Raynos out of their rear scopes, but then they loose the boosters...so, I dunno? Anyhoo, thanks for the review!

**DiscipleofFuzzy - **Wow! It's nice to know I made a favourite stories list! I'm glad you're addicted, and thanks for the review!

**BlackHole Army CO - **Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you didn't get mad at what I did to Leon. I look forward to the next chapter of the Tournament fic!

**Bluefly7 - **Long time no see huh? Heh, I'm not gonna stop writing, and I'm glad you really like the story! I'm just between two fics still! Thanks for the review!

**BladesDeath - **Well, Leon is out of the picture, but I don't know who will be "lead" just yet. I'm glad you liked the end to the verbal fight, you seem to be pretty knowledgeable in BitxLeena matters lol. Thanks for the review!

**Zero Stalker - **Yeah, Leon's a posterboy soldier, ever courageous even in death. Hey, if you can tell others about my fic, that would be awesome! Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Zoids, nor do I own Disturbed. Just bought a CD though: Rahzel's Greatest Knockouts. If you like beatboxing give it a listen.

**Now**! On to the story!

* * *

"What are the final numbers on the battle?" asked a weary General Trexen Winters.

An even wearier looking Jamie Hermeros leafed through a stack of papers slowly, taking into account all of the costs and damages incurred throughout what had become known as the Rarehertz Fiasco. During the pitch battle in which the Republic had begun to gain the upper hand something strange happened. An rumbling began to shake the scarred landscape, temporarily throwing off the aim of many of the soldiers and making it all but impossible to gain a target lock during battle. General Winters had ordered a final push for the cave, stabbing deep into what remained of the heart of the Guylos formation. That was when something no one had seen coming happened. First, a black shape had been seen bolting from the cave, followed a few minutes after by the white streak of a madly accelerating Liger Zero. The third, and final step in the Rarehertz Fiasco happened to be a Rarehertz blast itself, a blue shockwave of destruction emanating from the cave entrance and quickly blowing through both Helic and Guylos ranks, battle system freezing some Zoids, command system freezing others, and some Zoids, such as the many Guylos Zoids that happened to be closest to the cave, had their systems go haywire, either discharging weapons randomly, firing off ejector seats with cockpit canopies still closed, or simply exploding all together.

The end result had been grisly. Much of the damage incurred during the fight happened in those few minutes, leaving both sides stunned and trying to figure out what had hit them. Fortunately, the Guylos commanding officers had requested a full out retreat of what little of their numbers remained active. General Winters had all but allowed their exit, himself trying to reign in his own troops and gain a count on the damages.

Jamie rubbed his eyes blearily before giving his final account, "Well, sir, in total losses, the Guylos Empire lost over one hundred and fifty units, many destroyed by the Rarehertz blast."

The General narrowed his hazel eyes, "And our numbers?"

Jamie's gaze fell to his page before meeting the General's stone gaze, "We were lucky to be further away from the blast zone," Jamie began, "Before the Rarehertz pulse we had received one sixth losses, however after the pulse that number rose to almost one third of our forces."

General Winters rubbed his forehead, "And what of the team we sent into the valley cave?"

"The Fierce Lion Squadron met up with a group of Zaber Tigers before entering the objective," said Jamie, "They had nearly finished fighting when they saw the Liger Zero retreating from the cave. They broke off and followed."

"And what are their final numbers?"

"Four members dead, and one M.I.A." Jamie replied.

"And how is Private Cloud?" asked the General.

"He escaped unharmed, however-"

"Wait," the General interrupted, "You said one M.I.A.?"

"Yes sir," a sorrowful look crossed Jamie's eyes before he continued, "No one has seen Lieutenant Toros since the battle."

**Believe, when you lie  
You will never need to recognize yourself  
To deceive**

The General's eyes narrowed, "Where was he last seen?"

"In the Valley cave."

"With whom?"

"Private Bit Cloud sir," Jamie informed.

The General paced back and forwards for a moment before replying.

_Toros was a good man, he stayed with his orders to the end. Bit Cloud is still alive, that is very important._

"I wish to meet with Private Cloud, to ask him what happened," said the General.

"But what about Leon?" Jamie added.

The General paused in front of the window, gazing outwards onto the courtyard in front of the Zarros base. His eyes seemed distant and unfocused.

**To remove all chance of doubt and be received  
With your lie  
The deception is complete when you concede**

He was silent a moment longer before continuing, "Lieutenant Leon Toros was an upstanding officer, and even though he and I butted heads on certain issues, he remained a brilliant soldier and was well respected by his men."

Jamie's jaw dropped, "What are you saying sir?"

"As much as I regret to admit it, we lost a great asset yesterday, but saved a greater one."

Jamie's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

The General elaborated, "Bit Cloud is still safe, which was the task I gave Toros before the mission; to keep him safe."

"But what about Leon? He still may be trapped in that cave!"

Winters turned to face Jamie, "Ensign Hermeros, all that remains of the Valley of the Rarehertz is a pile of rubble and a strange barrier that no one can break through!"

"What are you saying?" Jamie's astonished voice almost wavered with emotion.

**And decide  
To reject your lives, sacrificed to me**

Winters closed his eyes and sighed, "I'm saying there will be no rescue operation. As of this moment, Lieutenant Leon Toros is to be considered Killed In Action." The General crossed the room and placed his hand on Jamie's shoulder, "I'm sorry, I know that you were friends. Send my condolences to his family."

With that the General Winters left the room, leaving Jamie alone and stunned. He stumbled backwards a few steps until he felt his back hit the wall. Upon contact he let it brace him as he slid down until he was sitting against the wall. The man who had been like an older brother to him was gone.

_Leon can't be gone._

He put his head on top of his knees and began to cry.

* * *

A hand slammed downwards on the cockpit armrest for the umpteenth time that morning, the padded bars of the seat taking the blow and easily conforming to the shape of the fist as it attempted to put a hole in the upholstery. The hand, itself bruised and battered from repeated smashings against the chair, paused in the air for a moment, as if contemplating another assault on the cockpit furniture.

_Why did it have to happen to him of all people?_

Bit hadn't left his cockpit since the end of the previous mission, refusing to leave the comforting confines of the Liger's familiar surroundings. Whenever a technician or officer had neared to see if he was alright or needed anything, the Liger Zero growled loudly at the visitors, shaking his head whenever any tried to move up a service ladder to enter the cockpit.

_He was one of the least violent men I knew_.

Bit had beaten himself up over that fact all throughout the night, gaining little sleep despite the Liger's comforting presence all around him. Three thoughts had been bouncing around his head: the previous mission, what had gone wrong, and why he had listened to Leon.

_WHY!! Why did I listen to you?_

The fist smashed against the chair again, a dull thud resounding throughout the enclosed cockpit space. The Liger growled again, concerned for the well being of its pilot and friend. Bit placed his head in his hands, the gravity of the previous mission beginning to hit him fully. Bit had killed a man in that battle, something that he had vowed never to do in his lifetime. The carefree junk dealer that everyone saw him as had done one of the most heinous acts imaginable; he had killed a man.

_I'm sorry._

**Penance can't absolve your sin, into me**

His eyes clenched shut, straining in vain to stop the tears that threatened to fall once more from his watery eyes. The worst of facts still remained on his conscience: Leon Toros, proud member of the Helic Military, ace Zoid pilot, and kind brother and friend to all, was dead. Leon would never smile upon his friends again.

_I'm sorry._

Leon would never ride into battle alongside his comrades again.

_I'm sorry._

Leon would never fight Bit again in battle.

_I'm sorry._

There would be no joy at the Toros home as Leon dropped by for the holidays, no silent love between him and his father as they played games of chance or worked on parts together.

_I'm sorry._

No mentor for Jamie, no adopted big brother to help him with the problems of growing up. No big brother for Leena to aid her through the strains of moving away, or to help remember the good old days.

_I'm so sorry._

**Penance can't absolve your sin**

A bright future was extinguished on that day, the day of the Rarehertz battle. Throughout the valley, parts of Zoids lay strewn about, discarded in the flight after the enormous Rarehertz pulse. Bit's mind wandered back to the cave where one of the finest warriors fell. A friend who he didn't even know he cared for that much gave his own life up for that of Bit, but not only that, for Bit and Leena's future. Bit hoped, he believed, that Leon was happy with his sacrifice.

_At least I want to believe._

**All your belief cannot absolve your sin**

* * *

His steps echoed down the long hallway, sounding out a mournful dirge as he made his way, painfully slow, towards his destination. Black boots met polished white marble in a clash of opposites, mirroring his state of mind, roiling in a state between emotional turmoil and intellectual readiness. If he could have, he would have smoked a cigarette, however that action was forbidden by the rules that bound the ground he tread upon. His hands found the lighter in his blue vest pocket, fingering the silver casing and playing with the mechanized housing for the flame. He heard steps approaching from behind.

"Never thought I'd see you here Hunter."  
  
**Believe, when you lie  
You will never need to recognize the source  
Of deceit**

"Well Harry, you learn something new everyday now don't you?" came Brad's irritated reply. He turned to come face-to-face with the half grinning visage of one of the richest men on Zi, who at the moment was wearing something a little more conservative than his usual attire of garish jackets and platform shoes. Harry had on the uniform of an Imperial Major, still proudly wearing the rank his father's money 'bought' him. Brad of course, being the mercenary's mercenary that he was, was still wearing his trademark blue vest, tan pants and black boots.

"Didn't think you a religious man Brad, you come here to pray?" asked Harry.

Brad rolled his eyes, raising his arms to take in all of the surrounding church courtyard, "Is that what this place is? I thought it was some fancy mercenary bar," he said sarcastically.

Harry rubbed his hand through hair coolly, "Funny Hunter, funny. I'll leave you to whatever it is you want to do here, but the Colonel wants to speak with you." With that, 'Major' Harry Champ stalked off, probably to go intimidate some new recruit with his rank.

"Idiot," Brad muttered.

A hand fell on his shoulder. He tensed and whirled, ready to deal with whoever it was who had gotten the drop on him. He came face to face with the smiling face of a gentle looking priest.

"We mustn't pass judgment on others so quickly," the man said kindly.

"Father, you almost had a meeting with a right fist," Brad said, letting his guard down.

"Easy my son, what makes you so restless?" the priest asked.

Brad paused a minute before continuing, "Well Father, it's been quite a while since I last had confession, and I was wondering-"

The priest cut him off gently, "Of course my son, if you will just follow me." With that, the holy man turned and began to walk off towards the main chapel towers, cutting a path through the gardens of the courtyard. As he walked past them, Brad took a moment to marvel at their beauty, colours intermingling in patterns that he almost couldn't comprehend.

_It figures, _he smirked, _God's flowers have to look the best._

They walked up the main steps together, both silent, nothing but the echoes of their feet to feed conversation. Brad followed the priest into a smaller room where a set of many cubicle-like compartments were situated. The priest moved into the one while Brad moved another directly beside, drawing the curtain shut around him as he knelt down on the bench provided.

**To renew your faith in God  
You must believe, in your lie  
The redemption is complete when you conceive**

A wooden panel slid open next to his head, through the screen of which only the silhouette of the holy man could be seen.

"Now my son, please, tell me what is troubling you," he said gently.

Brad hesitated a moment before speaking, "Well Father, I'm a mercenary, a soldier for hire who fights for money, plain and simple."

The priest's voice reassured him, "Having a job is no sin my son, so long as it is honest."

_That's the trouble,_ Brad thought sardonically.

"Well, I fight for the Guylos Empire, and I was recently in a battle," he elaborated.

"Wars can be forgiven if they are for a just cause my son," the priest said, "Now, tell me, what is it that troubles you so?"

"Well, I-" he began to say before stopping.

_I may have caused the death of two former teammates._

**And decline  
To release your lives  
Sacrificed to me**

"I can't do this right now," he finished, standing up to leave the booth.

The priest's voice echoed after him, "You must have strength my son!"

Brad however, had already rounded a corner, the kindly priest's words falling on deaf ears as he reached the courtyard, troubled thoughts already assailing him. True, he had betrayed his friends. Former friends.

_Were they ever my friends?_

But the crux of the matter was that he may have killed them both because of his orders. He had seen the end of the battle. The collapsing valley had left little hope for any survivors, which due to the Rarehertz pulse and ensuing force field could not be searched for. He had made his orders due to the fact that Bit and Leon were in danger of stealing his glory away from him.

_But the priest doesn't understand._

To make a confession you have to feel regret for what you have done.

_I don't think I regret it._

* * *

A lamp lit the darkness of the upper administration levels of the Helic Republic's Zerros base, casting strange shadows throughout the various cubicles and desks scattered across the room's near the main office. Small shuffling noises could be heard coming through an open doorway, the portal which admitted the lamp light to the rest of the floor. Papers could be heard shuffling, pens could be heard clicking, and a weary sigh made itself evident to the still nighttime air of the office.**Reap your life, like you want to recognize, all you've come to**

General Winters leafed through a stack of letters that he still had to write to families of the dead troops, insisting that he write them personally as some small measure of regret to the losses during the Rarehertz battle. His superiors had deemed the losses unacceptable, which he concurred with, however due to the fact that they resulted from forces beyond his control, he had not been reprimanded by his superiors, and President Gartland, who he was currently waiting for a phonecall from.

**Reap your life  
Veiled in shadow  
Recognize**

The battle had not been entirely a failure however. Whatever had become of the secrets in the cave were out of Guylos hands, and though the Republic could have used whatever advantage available against the Empire, it was simply good for them just to defeat the Empire in such a significant battle.

Just then the vid phone rang, breaking him out of his reverie. He activated the answer function of the private line, and President Gartland's face appeared to greet him.

"President Gartland sir, good to see you," he said cordially.

The President smiled faintly, the lines of age carrying upwards into his dark green eyes, seeming to almost add to his wisdom. His dark gray hair was still in full effect, having not succumbed to baldness like many other men his age.

"Likewise Trexen, likewise," the President replied, "But this is not a social call."

"Of course not sir," Winters agreed, "I assume I have new orders?"

The gray haired man nodded, "Indeed, but those will be delivered over a much more secure line."

"Of course," Winters concurred.

"Trexen, I know the Guylos forces were much more damaged than ours, however, the losses we experienced were quite grave. We can't have word of this battle getting out to public," the President warned.

"That would be a good idea sir," the General agreed once more.

"You are currently writing letters to the families of the pilots lost?" he asked.

**Faces of the crucified  
I can hear their screams tonight  
Ever haunting me**

The General's face didn't break for one moment, "Indeed, sir. Every last one of them."

"Well belay that order, we need to censor our outgoing messages in case Guylos taps our lines."

Winters nearly burst out loud, "But sir! These people have a right to know about their loved ones!"

President Gartland narrowed his eyes, "I am not saying to not tell them, I am merely saying not to let all of the messages out at once. We cannot let Guylos know we were hurt almost as much as them."

Winters eyes dropped to his desk, "Yes, sir."

"Good, now you'll receive your orders in the morning, I'll let you get some sleep." The President's face disappeared from the screen, leaving General Winters alone with the silence of his office once more.  
  
**Burn your lie into me**

He finished the letter he had been working on and sent the transmit button on his telecomm.

"Computer, send this to co-ordinates 67W by 49N. To the address entitled, Toros Base."

_I'm sorry Leon, that's the best I can do for you._

* * *

The desert heat shimmered in the wavering air of the morning, the sun glaring as it barely hung above the sand dunes. Dr. Steven Toros stretched and yawned as the sunlight pouring through the window awoke him from his resting place, a stabilizer cap that he had been working on the previous night.

_This will make the perfect addition for Leon's Blade Liger when I finish,_ he yawned again, scratching his head as he poured a cup of coffee from the portable unit kept in the hanger for such instances as all night repair sessions. He noticed a pulsing light on the wall vid unit that indicated he had a message. He walked over to the wall and clicked the receive button on the console. A short text message came up on the screen.

"Interesting," he said aloud, "Just text."

He began to read the first few lines out to himself.

"Dear Dr. Steven Toros, I regret to inform you that Leon Toros is dead."  
  
**Penance can't absolve your sin, into me**

The sound of a shattering coffee cup echoed across the hanger as hot coffee splashed against the Doc's leg. Stunned, he continued to read on silently.

_Dear Dr. Steven Toros, I regret to inform you that Leon Toros is dead. Three days ago he fought in his last mission for the Helic Military, fighting valiantly with his squad to protect our line of artillery and then agreeing to undertake a dangerous mission that few others could pull off. Lieutenant Toros' efforts are a shining beacon and an example to others, and without his efforts the lives of his squad, Bit Cloud, and Republic Artillery Unit 239 would be forfeit. Though all the kind words in the world cannot bring him back, his sacrifice is testament to the monumental hope of ending this war soon, so that no further loss of life can be incurred. Your son made a valiant contribution to this endeavour, and will not be forgotten._

_Gen. Trexen Winters_

Upon finishing, Steven Toros stood there silently, still shocked at the message that had just been displayed to him.

**Penance can't absolve your sin**

The war had finally hit home. He had been waiting for news from the front lines, some sort of indication to how the war was going, and when he would see his family again. Well he had finally gotten his message, but it had taken the death of his son to get it. Slowly, he turned away from the message, still burning on the screen, and walked towards his work sitting unattended on the bench. He picked up a wrench and began working a bolt on the stabilizer cap.

**All your belief cannot absolve your sin**

* * *

Author notes: Like that ending? hah! I just felt like doing it that way. MY LORD! This chapter was sooo hard to write. Really pissed me off it did. I wish I could smear my brain on a page because then my ideas might actually come off the way I wanted them to. It was shorter than I wanted, but that was hard cuz this was a no action chapter. Once again, I can write Brad easy, but everyone else is hard to work with. And I keep on finding a way to work Harry in there for all you Harry fans! Sorry that took a while, but stay tuned and remember to READ AND REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!! Later! 


	5. Remember

**Zoids Neo Slash Zero: Believe**

_Chapter 4: Remember_

Author Notes: Uh huh...here comes chapter four! Got less reviews last time, but oh well. Steam Detective, where are you? Lol. Anyhoo, enjoy this one, the plot is gonna start to go faster now. On to the reviewers.

**BlackHole CO - **Heh, dramatic...I like it. I hope people anticipate my updates, that's what I'm going for here!

**Mercenary Pen - **Thanks for the compliment on the war stuff, you seem to know a lot on the topic (as judging by your writing!), so it means a lot to me to hear that! Oohh, so creepy fog follows you around too huh? I thought I was the only one.

**BladesDeath - **Heh...Brad's fun to play with, I'm trying not to make him a bad guy...so many fics have done that as of late. He's not bad, he just happens to be on the other side. Ehh...I dunno about Jamie...it just seemed like the thing to do at the time I guess. Well, I appreciate the input as always...(I'm still trying to make your list!).

**Bluefly7 - **Lol eager aren't we? I hate to say this though...LEON'S DEAD! Hehe...anyhoo, keep reading, trust me. Thanks for the review!

Disclaimer: Don't own Zoids nor Disturbed...I saw Collateral the other day....good movie!

**Now! **On to the story!

* * *

His feet crunched along the path he traveled, taking him across the plain he had been wandering upon for what seemed like an eternity. He had wandered aimlessly for hours across the vast wasteland, no objective in sight, simply walking. Sometimes it was a straight line, other times he had to cut angles to maneuver around rocks jutting out of the landscape, like some god had casually thrown them there in an enormous game of marbles.

**Sensation washes over me  
I can't describe it**

A cold shiver went down his spine, despite the current heat of the midday sun.

_There it is again,_ he thought.

It had been the fifth time in an hour that the strange feeling had overtaken his mind. It seemed to occur intermittently, sometimes coming in waves, other times leaving him alone for hours. He didn't even know how long he had been walking, he simply knew that he had to walk, for one reason or another. He stumbled as his foot caught a loose rock, and he put his arms out to break the fall. Landing hard on the ground he rolled with the impact, allowing his body to move into a crouch.

_That should have hurt._

But it didn't, and as he rose to his feet in amazement he began to brush the dirt off his torn shirt. He noticed a sheltered pond amid a stand of trees: an oasis fortunately for him. He stumbled across the expanse separating him from the desert paradise, allowing himself to sink to the river's edge and splash water on himself. It was then he noticed the scars.

**  
Pain I felt so long ago  
I don't remember**

He examined his hands carefully, noting the long scars that crisscrossed upwards into his forearms, and continued further under his shirt. He lifted it upwards, seeing one large circular scar situated just to the left of where his heart was located. As he sat by the pond's edge, he noticed his reflection in the water. As the ripples from his early splashing died down he began to see his image more clearly. He was met with the gaze of a stranger...one who's brown hair was shot through with a streak of white, as well as a combination of a dull green eye set beside a soulless white eye coinciding with the white streak of hair. Below the lifeless orb of his milky eye a long burn scar stretched from the bottom of the socket to the tip of his jaw. Upon further inspection he noticed the scar continued into the scalp below the white hair.

_Who's face is that? Is that me?_

Troubled, he shakily got to his feet, trudging onwards across the vast wasteland. He noticed a rocky looking valley in the distance, so he began to make his way towards it. Maybe there he could find someone who could help him. He moved his legs, one after another, in a methodical march towards his destination. His mind had gone numb from the insurmountable distances that he had traveled. Or had he been there all along? His brain felt fuzzy, as if someone had taken a towel and wrapped it around his thought processing center. As he half-marched, half-stumbled along, he began to notice small objects glittering in the distance. The closer he got, the more he could make out, the shapes discerning themselves into what looked like large metallic animals.

**Tear a hole so I can see  
My devastation**

_These look like wrecks...who did this?_

Indeed, many of the mechanical beasts had pieces missing. Some had lost arms, others legs, and still others had lost heads, their bodies laying in the sand. Even more disturbing were the severed heads themselves, mouths open in someone's parody of a grin, teeth glistening. He made his way closer and closer to the valley, its walls becoming visible. He passed more discarded hulks, their numbers becoming more concentrated the closer he got to the valley. Some of the animal-like vehicles looked to be turning to stone, if that was at all possible for machines.

_What are these things?_

Still, he trudged on, kicking rocks out of his way, stopping here and there to examine the wrecks. He noticed that there were differences between each of the destroyed beasts. Some appeared to be modeled after dinosaurs of different varieties, and some looked to be made for flight in the air, though their current condition certainly couldn't permit it. He paused in front of what looked like a cat-like creature, its blue armour peppered with scorch marks and one of its arms missing. Its face was missing most of its upper jaw and head, and he noticed that the rear end was beginning to stone over. He ran his hands over its outer skin, pausing as they encountered a strange symbol.

**  
Feelings from so long ago  
I don't remember**

He felt like he had seen it before, the lion in mid-jump, claws outstretched, overtop of a logo he couldn't recognize. He noticed the words written across it.

_Draask Unthe Teramis Abludor. What does that mean?_

He couldn't escape the feeling that something was missing, something he had forgotten. He shrugged his shoulders and continued towards the valley.

**  
  
Holding on, to let them know  
What's given to me**

_["The trick is to hit the boost lever just as you dig your front paws into the dirt. That is the only way to pull a front flip maneuver." ......... "The winner is, the .......... Team!" .......... "Wow, we'll be in Class B soon!" ......... "Good morning ............ , I'd like you to meet ............ , he'll be fighting with us." .......... "That's a good ........... you've got there, I'd like to fight you some day one on one, but for now, we've gotta win this fight." ........... "I have to leave. I have to do this for ........... ."]_

Pain assaulted his head once again, mangled thoughts permeating his mind and causing him to clutch at his hair in anguish. He shook his head repeatedly to clear it, hoping to stop the voices. Almost as soon as it had started, the experience ended, leaving him alone amidst the wrecked metal-beasts in front of the valley wall.

**  
To hide behind  
The mask this time  
And try to believe**

_What the hell was that all about?_

He rubbed his temples to alleviate some of the pressure that had built up, feeling the tension leave his muscles, which had seized up during his episode.He limped over to the nearby valley wall, leaning up against it with his back and giving his feet a rest. That, of course, was short lived, as the valley wall behind him gave way, crumbling under his weight. He stumbled backwards, landing head over heels into a darkened cavern. Rubbing his sore head and grumbling, he slowly rose to his feet, taking in the scope of the cave. There wasn't much to see, the only illumination being provided by the hole in the wall itself. The poor lighting cast twisted shadows into the cave, making large spires look like twisted parodies of monsters from childhood nursery rhymes.

**Blind your eyes to what you see  
You can't embrace it  
**

_Is that a light up ahead?_

He thought he could see a dim glow further ahead in the cave, highlighted around a large corner that appeared to leave further into the cave. Deciding that he had come far enough already he furthered his quest deeper into the cave. He picked his way slowly around the rocks strewn about the cave floor, being careful so as not to take another tumble. He had nearly reached the tunnel when he tripped over something large and hard. Cursing, he hit the ground, which felt much harder than a normal cave floor should. He brushed himself off and continued further along into the light, which appeared to be filtering in through a hole high up in the cave ceiling. Now in a much better illuminated area, he walked at a bit of a faster pace. He began to round a corner and nearly walked into another wall of stone. At least, at first he thought it was a wall of stone. It was another one of those mechanical beasts, except this one was made completely out of stone.

_What are they?_

**Leave it well enough alone  
And don't remember**

He rapped his knuckles against the _thing's_ outer surface, finding it to be the same feel as the object he had tripped over earlier.

_How many of these beasts are there?_

He began to feel a little unsettled by the sight of all the frozen monsters. Stumbling further into the cave he left the light source behind, continuing further into the darkness and away from the light. Onwards he traveled, groping blindly in the pitch blackness of the cave, finding a wall to guide him along. He walked forwards, destination unknown, but the strange feeling never escaped him. He felt like something was calling out to him, like there was something for him to discover inside this strange cavern. He hiked over boulders, around stalagmites, occasionally feeling drips from the cave ceiling land on his head. He didn't know how long he had been walking for, as the darkness swallowed all sense time.

**Cut your pride and watch it bleed  
You can't deny it  
**

_Strange. After walking this long, I should feel tired...but I don't._

Still, he soldiered onwards, towards his unknown destination, placing one foot in front of the other in a slow methodical march. He could see another beam of light in the distance, this one much larger than before. It appeared as if a considerable portion of the cave roof had collapsed, leaving a large gap in the ceiling for sunlight to pour through. Below a large pile of rubble could be seen, left over from the large collapse. As he neared the pile of rock he could see a few more of those stone covered creatures. He reached the foot of the large pile, wondering just what could have caused such a large cave collapse. That was when he saw something strange. Starting from about mid-height in the pile, small trails of dried blood could be seen on the rocks, leading in a path downwards towards the ground where he stood.

**Pain you know you can't ignore  
I don't remember**

_Someone was trapped here...but who?_

His eyes followed the trail of blood back to its source, seeming to come from within the stack of boulders.

_And how could they loose so much blood?_

That strange sensation returned, like someone was tickling the back of his mind, trying to get his attention. He shook his head forcefully, trying to rid himself of the feeling, finding it not wholly pleasant. His eyes fell upon two large pillars situated across from the pile of rocks. They appeared to be ornately carved, certainly not natural, almost as if they were part of some sort of building. He approached them slowly, as if called by a silent voice. Passing through the twin columns he walked down a long stone corridor, one carved into the rock of the cave. After walking for what felt like almost an hour he began to see light at its end. **  
  
Holding on, to let them know  
What's given to me**

He stepped out into what appeared to be an even larger portion of the cave. He looked upwards, but found the cave ceiling stretched far into the darkness. He stared in awe at the scope of the cave. It was larger than the other cave he had traveled through, more than twenty times larger by his guess. He strode across the open expanse of the indoor wasteland, further into the darkness. He must have stepped over an important area, or tripped some sort of device, for as he walked the entire cave lit up with lights, some strung along walls, others hanging from the ceiling. As the remainder of the cave began visible to him, his eyes opened wide in wonderment.

**  
To hide behind  
The mask this time  
And try to believe  
**

All around him large buildings loomed, reaching upwards for the cave ceiling. Each building looked to be almost two hundred years old in design, if not older, some more than twenty stories high. He found himself standing in the middle of a city street, near an intersection that still had functioning traffic lights, changing signals and faithfully regulating traffic that was non-existent. It was an eerie sight to behold. Despite the obvious absence of people, the city still functioned properly, serving masters who were never there to appreciate it.

_There's something ethereal about this place._

He continued further up the large main street, drawn by some unseen force. He noticed a large building in the distance, easily larger than any other building in the city.

**If I can  
Remember**

_Why does this feel familiar to me?_

He approached the large double doors of the large dark blue building. It appeared the be made out of some kind of metal that he had not seen before. It glimmered dully with an inner light, as if some sort of power was contained within the metal panels. He pressed his hand against the cold metal surface, trying to find some sort of switch or control to open the doors. To his surprise, the moment he touched them they shuddered and began to slowly swing inwards, admitting his passage. He stepped through and into another long corridor that led to another giant set of double doors.

**  
To know this will  
Conquer me**

He continued into the great hall, feet echoing loudly on the hard metallic floor, its silver surface reflecting his marred face back upwards at him. He noticed that there were several alcoves placed at even intervals along the hall all the way towards the double doors. He passed the first pair of alcoves, noticing the stone forms of what looked to be smaller, more streamlined versions of the large metal beasts he had seen outside the cave. Each had a slightly different form, but many shared the same features: curved horns on the heads and long tails. Still, others appeared to have smooth bodies devoid of any pointy growths, and others still had wings of various shapes and sizes.

_What are those things?_

**  
If I can  
Just walk alone  
**

Further he walked, alone with his thoughts and the strange statues, towards the door that he felt he was inevitably being drawn to. He passed several more of the statue-creatures, which appeared the be increasing in size as he came closer to the doors. He noticed that there were several large paintings adorning the walls. In one a large dinosaur-like creature did battle with a much smaller cat-like creature, and in another a large scorpion fought with an equally large dinosaur, each shooting large beams at each other. Just above the door he noticed one large picture, depicting what appeared to be many white coloured beasts, doing battle with many of those metallic-beasts like the ones he had seen outside.

_What is the importance of these images?_

**And try to escape  
Into me**

It was almost a little too overwhelming for him. Here he was, inside a large subterranean city, amongst the ruins of some metallic beasts. He had no clue how he got there, or why he was there. His hands touched the metal of the doors in front of him. As soon as contact was made they glowed a bright white and began to split apart, opening inwards to reveal a large room Temporarily blinded by the glowing doors, he stumbled into the room, falling to his knees as he struggled to cover his eyes from the intense light.

**  
Sensation washes over me  
I can't describe it**

His hands felt tingly as they made contact with the floor, as if the ground was charged with electricity. The light dimmed somewhat, allowing him to open his eyes a fraction. He squinted, taking in the scope of the room. His jaw nearly dropped as his gaze fell across the largest statue he had ever seen. It was over twenty stories tall and reached almost clear to the ceiling of the impossibly large room he found himself in. It's shape was that of a woman, one that sat upon a large throne-like chair. Her face was unlike any he had ever seen. She had the most beautiful smile of any woman and on her face were two curving stripes under her eyes. In her hands she held what looked to be a large staff of some kind, and in the other a large sword.

**  
Pain I felt so long ago  
I don't remember**

Pain assaulted his head once again, conflicting voices and thoughts entering his mind.

_["Hey ............ , good luck." ........ "They say ............. is the hardest part." ....... "Look, .............. has improved in the time ........... spent away." ........ "Welcome to your new home over the next few years, ............ . Now get moving." .......... "Good luck .......... , I'll wait for your return."]_

He fell to his knees in front of the statue, clutching his skull in pain. His anguished scream echoed throughout the large chamber. He was in too much pain to notice the eyes of the statue light up a bright blue.

Rise , said a woman's voice.

He opened his eyes and turned his gaze upwards towards the great statue. Numbly, he got to his feet.

You have been summoned to me for a reason , the voice said.

**I'm just holding on, to let them know  
What's given to me, given to me  
**

He found his voice, "Who are you?"

I am the beginning of all things, as well as the end , she said enigmatically.

He asked another question, "Why am I here?"

The statue's eyes glowed an intense blue, You are the messenger. You are needed .

His eyes widened, "What do you mean, messenger? I don't even know how I got here!"

All will be revealed to you shortly. But you must know in your heart already that you are the ONE

That rocked him back on his heels. He had felt a certain calling to this place, that was why he had traveled such a great distance to get there. Maybe this was his purpose for traveling all that way.

**To hide behind  
The mask this time  
And try to believe**

"Yes," he said, "I feel like I've been searching for this my entire life."

Good , said Her voice, Then search your heart. Though your experience may have left your memory damaged, you must remember your purpose .

He nodded slowly and began to think back, to his trek through the caves, the stone beasts, the smaller cave entrance, the desert oasis, the desert itself, and all the other metallic beasts.**  
  
If I can  
Remember**

[_He was hovering above the cave near its roof, watching as events unfolded down below. He saw two large metallic beasts, one white and one red, walking slowly through the cave. Suddenly, many other beasts appeared around them and a fight ensued. Explosions erupted and the red beast went down in a heap. The white one, the Zoid (he now remembered its name!), approached the other. Soon the cave began to shake and collapse. The white Zoid left quickly, leaving the red one to be crushed under a pile of rubble. A large blast of light illuminated the cave, blinding his vision.]_

**  
To know this will  
Conquer me**

_[His vision cleared and soon he saw a different sight. A man was trying to free himself from the rubble. He was covered in blood seeping from many different wounds and a large wound beside his heart could be seen, the result of something impaling him. As he looked closer at this man he noticed something. That man, was him! He was that man! He was watching himself! But how could that be? The man stumbled and fell down the pile of rocks, leaving a long trail of blood. He rolled to a stop on the floor and stopped moving. His chest ceased to rise and fall. A beam of light fell from the roof of the cave, blinding him once more.]_

**  
If I can  
Just walk alone**

_[His vision cleared once more, and he was in the desert again, amid the broken bodies of those beasts...those Zoids. Except this time he could hear cries of pain. Many loud screams arose, assaulting his ears. The Zoids were crying! They were in pain! They were crying out to him for help, for the help of the ONE. They needed the ONE to help them, they said he was the only one who could. He saw the oasis in the distance and soon found himself standing at the river's edge, staring at his own broken reflection, except this time he saw the large statue in the water. Her gaze drew him downwards, and he soon found himself sinking beneath the surface, unable to rise for air...]_

**  
And try to escape  
Into me**

His head snapped forwards with a start. He was still in the large chamber, the statue was still in front of him, gazing down with those blue eyes.

Do you see now? Do you see why you are needed? , she asked.

"Yes," he agreed, "I am needed."

**  
Into me**

You are my messenger. You are the ONE .

**  
Into me**

"I am your messenger. I am the ONE."

* * *

Author notes: Ya know, sometimes I weird myself out. Jeez it was strange to write that way for the entire chapter. But as you all know, I am the ONE! Haha, just kidding, but I hope you liked this chapter. Oh yeah...the flashbacks with the many dots...well I figured I would make his muddled thoughts not just hard for him, but hard for you too...actually, I was just trying to censor stuff like on Kill Bill...but doesn't let me use any little stars, so I ahd to use dots. Things are gonna start gettin' freaky deaky soon, so better watch out! Stay tuned for the next chapter and remember to READ AND REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!


	6. Intoxication

**Zoids Neo Slash Zero: Believe**

_Chapter 5: Intoxication_

Author Notes: Hmmm....though I updated sooner....it still seems I have less reviewers. That's a little disheartening...where did everybody go? I need you people to make me feel like writing! Oh well...I'll just kill off a character every hour until I get some more reviews XD. On to the reviewers.

**Mercenary Pen - **Who said it was Leon? I sure didn't . Or is it? It isn't. Or is it? Yeah the X-Wing series is good (I used to be a huge Star Wars fan...have way to many books). Jerks, I was wondering why your story disappeared...and that is a good combo...it'll leave anybody pwn3d by me! Wow! You can turn into a cloud? I usually turn into some sort of strange tornado...wait that's also a cloud...gotta go!

**Zero Stalker - **Well, I'm glad you clicked that, but I think my writing had something to do with getting reviews too maybe? lol. I'll take a look at your story. Thanks for the review!

**Bluefly7 - **Yeah, it was strange to write too! Just see what happens next! It'll be great. Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Don't own Zoids nor Disturbed...I just bought two LP CDs and one by Audiovent! Oh ya, and I got this new trippy optical mouse that changes colours while it sits there, like green and blue and red and stuff....it's like an acid trip!

**Now! **On to the story!

* * *

_Several months had passed since what had become to be known as the Rarehertz Fiasco. Both Guylos and Helic armies appeared to be taking a respite from fighting, though a cease-fire had not been called between the two warring sides. It appeared as though both Imperial and Republic intelligence were looking into the cause of the Rarehertz blast that had cost both armies so dearly as to go into remission for the next few months after the battle at the Valley of the Rarehertz. In addition, strange reports had abound about small attacks hitting outlying communities. Many quick and fade hits had been reported, being perpetuated by one Zoid that no one could get a good enough look at to identify. Still, others said that Zoids had been disappearing one at a time. Other reports came trickling in of strange sightings all around Zi, leading many to believe that Imperial or Republic forces were on the move again._

_

* * *

_

"I told you already! I don't know anything about that!"

A man's body went flying through the window of a dingy bar in the heart of Romeo City. Crystalline fragments littered the ground and reflected the lights from the neon sign above, casting strange colours and shadows over the prone figure. A tall man wearing a long blue vest came out of the bar next, however choosing to use the front door as his mode of departure. He walked over to the downed man and helped him off the ground. Brad Hunter's method of helping was a stiff kick to the ribs.

**Now you tell me you like it  
You tell me you want it  
**

"I know you know something about the strange sightings around Mount Iselina," said Brad, grabbing the man's arm so he couldn't run away.

The man's face hitched for a second before he hid his surprise, but Brad had seen it as well.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man stammered, "I just own this bar, that's all!"

Brad smirked, "Sure, and you give money to needy children. I saw the recognition on your face when I mentioned Iselina," he shook the man by his collar, "Now tell me what you know!"

"I don't know!" the man shouted.

Brad's backhand blow caught the man off guard and snapped his head back.

"Now tell me what you've heard," Brad said menacingly.

"I can't," the man said quietly.

Brad's fist cocked back, "Then perhaps you need more influencing."

**You're mine  
And you don't need another one  
**

Before he could deliver the blow, a woman's voice halted him.

"Determined to get results as always, huh Brad?"

Brad wheeled around in surprise, dropping the man to the pavement. "Naomi! What are you doing here?"

The man took advantage of Brad's temporary surprise and bolted back into the bar, shutting the door behind him and locking it. Brad turned and scowled, realizing that his quarry had escaped.

"I wasn't aware that it was against the law to live in Romeo City," Naomi Fluegal said sarcastically, "I'm trying to have a drink at a bar I know, and what do I see? I see big tough Brad Hunter beating on the owner!"

Brad grabbed his face, "You weren't supposed to see that Naomi."

Naomi sighed, "Brad, just why are you beating up on innocent civilians?"

**Come on and tell me you like it  
Tell me you want it  
**

Brad grunted, "He's not so innocent, besides, it's my job."

Naomi narrowed her eyes sternly, "Jack told me about you running off to play soldier. I figured you could have at least told me about it."

Brad leaned up against the brick wall of the front of the bar. "Look, it was sort of a spur of the moment kind of thing. Once I was in I didn't have time to tell anyone."

"Spur of the moment my ass," Naomi spat, "Jack said you were drunker than a trucker during happy hour."

"Hey, I know I left you in the dark about that, but I don't need a lecture," Brad said turning to walk down the sidewalk.

Naomi fell into step beside him, "Sure, but what you do need is information about Mount Iselina."

Brad halted his walk, turning to face Naomi, "How do you know about that?"

Naomi's violet eyes glinted mischievously, "Well I would say I can't seem to remember, but I see what happens to those who say that to you," she said, gesturing towards the broken window.

**You're mine  
And another one to me**

**And the world will get you high**

Brad chuckled, "Then why don't we find a new bar, and maybe you can tell me?" he suggested.

"Sure thing Mr. Hunter, if you're the one that's buying," said Naomi as she led him across the street to another bar.

* * *

"Hey!" the technician yelled, "Try it this time!" 

Twin boosters roared to life, ion fed engines blowing exhaust out the back vents and into the fan situated behind the wind tunnel. This time, however, the support struts held and the Shield Liger that the boosting units were mounted did not sustain any damage.

"I think you got it that time!" came the pilot's excited voice.

"Okay," the technician said, "Come on out, we want to do a few more tweaks!"

The cockpit hatch of the blue Shield Liger opened up, allowing its pilot to stand up and stretch his arms out. He took his crash helmet off and shook his head, sweat droplets flying off his spiky blonde hair in the process.

"Hey Lieutenant, how did it feel?" a young man in a red Helic jumpsuit asked.

"Just fine," said Bit Cloud as he climbed down the ladder set up on the side of the Shield Liger's head.

"That's good," said Second Lieutenant Krys Vilnen, "Can it keep up with the Jager?"

First Lieutenant Bit Cloud laughed merrily, warmth in his green eyes, "I don't know about that Krys, but it certainly could give any Lightning Saix a run for its money."

"That's good!" said Krys, "Now maybe I'll be able to keep up with my wingman out there!"

Bit just laughed, nodding to the technician as he came out of the control room to give his status report.

"So how does it look from the data end?" asked Bit.

"Well sir," said the technician, "The Shield Liger/Jager CAS works pretty much close to one hundred per cent now. We had more trouble with this one than with the Shield Liger/Schneider or Shield Liger/Panzer units because of the stress put on the Liger's legs by the booster unit's intense speed," the tech adjusted his glasses, "The internal structuring in the aeroform of the Zoid began to twist out of alignment."

"Can you put that in plain English?" said Krys, scratching his head in confusion.

Bit laughed, "He means that the strength of the engines caused the legs to snap in earlier tests."

"Indeed," said the tech, "But we've improved on the leg strength so that we no longer have that problem."

"So does that mean I get to try out the new CAS system soon?" Krys said with that look that many young children get in their eyes when they talk about Christmas.

"Indeed it does soldier," said an approaching General Trexen Winters. The three men snapped to attention and saluted.

General Winters waved his hand, "At ease." He turned to address Bit, "I've okayed the installment of a CAS system to your section of the hanger, and signed off on the development of twelve sets of each of the modified conversion armours for special use by the Fierce Lion Squadron."

Bit smiled, "Excellent, that will dramatically improve the effectiveness of our squad."

The General nodded, "And it also allows us to tailor your squad as the mission profile dictates."

Bit agreed. It made sense after all, to modify the conversion armours for mass use. The Shield Liger/Schneider combo would allow for them to mount better attack units to the Shield Ligers while still allowing them to keep their shock cannons, giving them the addition of a set of buster blades much like the original Schneider unit. The Shield Panzer unit mounted many extra cannons and heavier armour, as well as a lighter version of the actual Panzer's Hybrid Cannons. They had also solved the problem of overheating in the original Panzer armour, installing a much more efficient cooling system. Finally, the Shield Jager unit added a set of high powered boosters to the back of the Shield Liger, disabling it's back cannons but adding a set of head mounted mini guns to compensate. The big plus for all the modification was that the Shield Ligers kept their shielding units no matter the CAS they were using.

"But," said the General, "Not only am I here to inspect the armour conversion process, but I have a mission for your squad."

Bit raised his eyebrows. There had been few missions since a few months before during the Rarehertz campaign, aside from the odd patrol or supply guarding mission.

"I assume you are aware of the strange events taking place around outlying settlements?"

Bit nodded, "Yes sir, the reports of small hit and run operations have been circulating around the base for a few weeks now."

"Well," the General continued, "They're beginning to get stranger."

"How so?" asked Krys, "I mean, what's stranger than Guylos hitting small out of the way communities for little profit?"

"Lieutenant Vilnen, if it were only that," the General turned back to Bit, "People have reported Zoids going missing."

"Missing?" Bit intoned.

"Correct, but not only that, on the days or nights of these 'thefts' for a lack of a better term, one or more white Zoids have been spotted."

"White huh," Bit rubbed his head thoughtfully, "Neither Imperial nor Republic then."

"Could they be bandits?" Krys wondered.

"Normally, that is what we would have thought, but for it to be bandits the thefts would have to have occurred in a set area."

"And these didn't did they?" said Bit.

"Indeed. Each of the thefts has been measured in areas that stretch across the whole Eastern continent, with some even occurring around some of the islands in the Zerros region," the General elaborated.

"So then there is substance to the rumours," Bit concluded.

"Not only that," said the General, "But the Zoids have been taken in the strangest way."

Now Krys was intrigued, "Strange ways?"

"Eye witnesses report seeing the stolen Zoids being hit with some strange kind of weapon before being taken away."

"Strange weapon?" Bit was also intrigued.

"Some report seeing a bright flash of light, and then the Zoids disappear with their stolen goods."

"What about those who are still in their cockpits when they're attacked?" asked Bit.

"It's strange," said General Winters, "When hit with this weapon, the Zoid ejects its pilot, and then the same thing happens, the flash of light and they disappear."

"So then, our mission has something to do with this then huh," said Krys.

"That's correct Lieutenant," General Winters smiled, "We've had reports of a strange white Zoid being spotted around a set of cave-like ruins just off the coast of the Central continent, on the Draccon peninsula. We believe that it may be linked to the recent thefts."

"And you want us to check it out," said Bit, finishing for him.

"Yes," said General Winters, "This should be an ample mission to test your new CAS system as well. You'll depart tomorrow at 0900 hours, so get some rest."

With that, the General left them to finish up their testing on the Shield Jager.

"Well," said Krys, "You heard the man. I'm gonna go get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow LT." Krys walked over to the nearest elevator, heading up to the main level where the hanger was.

_We'll see just how good these new CAS units are_, he thought, looking over his shoulder at the modified Shield Liger, leaving to catch a quick bite to eat before bed.

* * *

"So you're back in the singles division huh?" said Brad, clearing away his empty glass and ordering another beer. 

Naomi nodded, "Yes, since Leon rejoined the Blitz team I decided to get back into singles battling. It pays the bills I suppose."

Brad took a swig of his new mug of beer, taking a quick glance around the bar, before his gaze returned to Naomi.

"So what are you doing out at this time of night?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied.

Naomi snorted, "Yeah, but I bet I know something you don't know."

"Like what?"

"Oh I don't know," she said, playing with her mug, "Just things."

"What kind of things?" he was beginning to get annoyed.

"Things about Mount Iselina," she lowered her voice.

Brad jumped to his feet in surprise, his stool falling over. "What!" His quick outburst startled some of the other patrons, but the bartender paid him no mind.

Brad lowered his voice, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," she said offhandedly.

"Yes, you said something about Mount Iselina. How do you know about that?" he interrogated.

**What can you take from me  
That which you cannot buy**

"Trade a question for a question then?" she suggested.

"Okay, but you first," he agreed, "What is this about Mount Iselina?"

"Well," she said, "I'm sure you know about the strange sightings around the mountain right?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm here," said Brad.

"Well, they're true. There's been some strange white Zoids hanging around the mountain on the foggy nights, like they're looking for something."

Brad thought a moment, "Hmm....white coloured Zoids in fog huh? That would make for a good camouflage."

"Well, they've been spotted in and around, and some Zoids have gone missing too," she said, "People say that place is haunted.

**Exhilaration  
Laughing and turning away  
**

Brad laughed into his mug, "I doubt that. I bet those Zoids are just a special forces unit of Republic Zoids, and the so called 'disappearing Zoids' are just civilians who got too close." He stood up to leave the bar, "I'll have to go report this to my superiors."

Naomi got cross at this, "Wait a second Brad Hunter, you still owe me an explanation!"

"Okay, fine," he conceded, "What's the question?"

"Why are you fighting in this war?"

"Excuse me?"

"You don't belong in this war," she accused, "It's not your fight."

"Naomi, anything that concerns money is my fight," Brad said.

**What will you take from me  
Now that you are inside  
Intoxication  
**

"You gave up a great career in Zoid fighting for money from the Imperial military?" her voice rose, "You probably get paid less than you did when you fought in Class B!"

Brad turned to head for the door.

"Brad!" she yelled, "Get back here! I'm not done with you yet!"

He was about to leave when he turned back to her, "Maybe I'm also in it for the recognition."

"Recognition!" she exclaimed, "Who cares about that!"

**Now are you feeling  
Enough, to vilify what I love**

**To sanctify all I hate  
**

He turned back to the door, his hand resting on the handle. "Sometimes recognition is worth more than even money."

With that he left out into the Romeo City night, leaving behind a speechless Naomi, who could do little to stop his departure. She sat back down at her table before finishing off her mug.

_Brad I hope you know what you're doing._

As he headed back to his Gustav he made a mental note to contact his superior about Mount Iselina, and hopefully he wouldn't be stuck with Harry Champ again.

**Endowed with the need  
To carry over the life I lead  
Intoxicating**

_To some people, recognition is worth more than anything in the world._

_

* * *

_

"So, what do you think boss?" came Krys voice as he approached Bit in the hanger the next morning.

"Huh?" Bit's reply was confused.

"Here," said Krys, handing Bit a steaming cup of coffee, "This'll help defog your brain."

Bit gratefully accepted the cup and took a sip. As soon as it hit his mouth he winced, "Jesus! What is this stuff?"

"Oh nothing," said Krys nonchalantly, "Just coffee specially brewed by me over three days to be extra strong."

"Strong is an understatement," Bit coughed, "This stuff is strong enough to put down the Death Saurer!"

"Yeah, and it's great for hangovers," added Krys.

"Oh good, so if I fight the Death Saurer with a hangover, then I can kill two birds with one stone?"

Both men's laughter lit up the early morning lull hanging over the hanger. The other pilots, seeing that their commander and executive officer were in a good mood, also relaxed.

"Anyways, back to my earlier question," Krys reminded.

"Which was?" Bit said as he took enough sip of the acidic coffee.

"Which armour units are we gonna use today?" he asked.

"Oh," said Bit, "Well, since this is a recon of unknown territory, we'll definitely need speed, so the Shield Jager is in."

"Okay, I'll go let the techs know," said Krys, turning to leave.

"Wait!" yelled Bit, "But what if we run into a little enemy muscle? Maybe we should use the Schneider units instead?"

"Okay," said Krys, "Then I'll tell them to use the Schneider units."

"Wait!" he halted Krys again, "What if there's some really fortified stuff there? We'll need the cannons on the Panzers to punch through!"

Krys sighed, "How about this LT. We bring along four Jager units to scout, and if they encounter medium resistance, we bring in six Schneider units. And if there's still some heavy stuff we're up against, we use two Panzer units from long distance as mobile artillery. That should cover all angles of attack," he finished, taking a large breath.

Bit laughed, "Okay, that sounds good."

"Just one request?" Krys added, "Can I pilot a Shield Jager this mission?"

"Sure, go ahead," Bit said smiling, "If you can handle the speed. I'll be with the Schneider group then, and we'll put Private Kaj in charge of the Panzers. She always liked big explosions anyways."

"Great, I'll go let them know!" Krys ran off with a wave.

Bit walked over to his own Zoid, and the Liger Zero gave a friendly growl as he approached.

"Are you ready buddy?" Bit asked.

The Liger roared an affirmative and stamped its paw restlessly.

"Good."

Bit whistled loudly, getting the attention of everyone in the hanger.

"We move out in an hour! Lieutenant Vilnen has your assignments!"

* * *

"Hey Lead!" came Krys Vilnen's excited voice as he boosted ahead in his Shield Jager, "These things can really go can't they?"

Bit chuckled to himself, "That's right Two. Remind me to tell me about the time I outraced the fastest Lightning Saix ever built."

"Will do Lead, but I think I see the objective up ahead," Krys replied.

"Alright," Bit activated his squadron comm channel, "Schneider and Panzer Group, hold here. Jager group, continue onwards to investigate those caves."

"Wish me luck," said Krys as he and the three other Shield Jagers activated their boosters fully and headed towards the system of caves.

Bit smiled at his wingman's need for speed. _Just don't let it go to your head my friend._

No sooner had Krys' disappeared into the caves then the sounds of explosions could be heard.

_I can't take that guy anywhere._

"Uhh Lead?" Krys' voice sounded a little stunned, "We've got a problem here. A _big_ problem."

With that Bit could see Krys' Shield Jager come speeding out of the caves, followed closely by his squadmates. Behind them came a hulking, enormous Zoid. It was completely white in colour and was bristling with enough weaponry to lay waste to a small base.

"Two, where did that Gordos come from? It's huge!"

Krys sounded slightly shaken as he reached Bit's position, the Gordos far behind. "I don't know Lead, it just came blundering out of the caves, guns blazing!"

"Well, we'd better deal with it. It must've been protecting something important."

"At least it can't hit us from here," said Krys, sounding relieved.

Almost in retaliation to his words the Gordos opened fire, long range cannons nearly pegging Krys' Zoid.

"Apparently not," said Bit dryly. "Okay Fierce Lions, here's what we do. Two, I want you to take the Shield Jagers and distract it so that the Shield Schneiders can get close enough to harass it at close range and get under those cannons firing distance."

"Will do Lead," said Krys as he and the other three Shield Jagers boosted off, zigzagging towards the rampaging Gordos.

"Twelve, you and Eleven will wait until you can get an open shot with your Hybrid Cannons. Once you do, give that thing all you can throw at it."

"Will do," came Private Kaj's reply.

"Move out Lions!" Bit ordered, and he and his squad of Schneider units headed towards the lumbering Gordos, which at the moment was trying its best to swat Krys Vilnen's Zoid with its large, spiked tail. The Shield Jager spun, leapt up and over the sweeping appendage and opened fire with its impact cannons, scoring hits along the Gordos heavily armoured side, but doing little damage.

"Schneider units, deploy Buster Blades now!" Bit ordered, deploying his own blades in the Buster Slash position. Multiple blades flipped forwards on all the orange armoured Zoids, glinting in the overhead sunlight as they charged the Gordos. Splitting into two lines of three each to make the Gordos divide its fire, the deployed their shields until the last minute, dropping them in favour of raking their blades along the Gordos' side. The white Zoid howled as long gashes were ripped open along its flank, doing more damage than the Shield Jagers had done. The angered Zoid turned to follow Bit as he finished his run, exposing its already damaged side to the Panzer units.

"Twelve, fire away!" Bit yelled.

"With pleasure lead," replied Private Kaj.

_If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's enjoying this._

Punctuating his thoughts, four Hybrid Cannon beams ripped across the vast expanse separating the Shield Panzers from the Gordos. They slammed into the white Zoid's side shattering the already damaged armour plating and blowing the large Zoid onto its side.

Bit opened up a comm link with the pilot of the other Zoid, "Surrender now, or we'll have to destroy your Zoid."

He got no response, so he used the special systems installed in his Zoid to force a video link with the pilot. The image blared to life on his screen, the sight causing Bit's jaw to drop.

_There's no pilot in that thing!_

The Gordos began to rise back to its feet, ready for another round of fighting.

_Not this time._

Bit brought the Schneider around for another pass, jumping at the Gordos' strangely shaped head.

"Seven Blades Attack!"

Bit landed several feet away, skidded to a halt, and retracted his blades. The Gordos' head fell to the ground with a thump.

"Well done as usual Lead," said Krys, walking over with his Shield Jager.

"Thanks Two, but I want to see what this Gordos was guarding."

He paced the Liger Zero over to the cave that the Gordos attacked from, Krys following close behind. The cave was fairly small and Bit reached the back wall with little time having passed. He trained his visual scanners on the wall and noticed some strange writing on the wall.

_Where have I seen this before?_

"What's that stuff Lead?" Krys sounded confused.

"I think I know what this is," said Bit thoughtfully. "That's it! This is the same kind of writing we found at Lake Eve!"

He brought up the picture on his screen, "I think the Liger will be able to decipher it."

"What?" Krys' confusion rose a few levels, "How can your Zoid tell what that is?"

"Let's just say he's a special Zoid," replied Bit, as the writing began to appear on his screen in a format he could understand.

_Those trapped in the fog will see the great champion rise at Mount Iselina with the coming of the full moon._

"What does it mean Lead?" asked Krys.

_The full moon is tonight!_

"We had better get to Mount Iselina as soon as possible."

* * *

The silent movement of a Shadow Fox cut through the underbrush of the dimly lit forest, the sun's rays barely piercing the thick canopy of trees. Still, not much disturbed the forest as the Fox's sound scrubbing gear all but eliminated the heavy sounds elicited by most Zoids. Brad smirked, noticing the squad of eleven Scout Foxes keeping their pace behind him. Though not capable of being as quiet as the Shadow Fox, the Scout Fox, when in capable hands, could be almost as silent. And his pilots were some of the best in the recon business, so it was almost as if they were non-existent. 

_Which is good if we're going to get the drop on this Republic operation._

He guided his Zoid between the closely packed trees, and over fallen logs until his objective was in sight. A thick fog enshrouded the mountain, but he could still see its general outline against the sky.

"There it is," he said over his comm, "That's the objective."

Another one voice came on the airwaves, "They say Mount Iselina is always covered in fog. Won't it be difficult to see the enemy?"

"That may very well be, but since fog affects them as well, it'll be an equal playing field," said Brad.

They cleared the forest and entered the thick fog, immediately loosing sight of each other.

"Switch to infrared scanning," ordered Brad.

He flicked a switch on his console, changing the HUD scanners over to heat scan. The signatures of his men appeared on his aft scopes, the dampening fog making their heat signatures stand out like a white suit at a funeral.

"Now keep your eyes open, we may be seeing something soon," he warned, one eye glued to his scanners and another to the wall of fog in front of him.

"Sir! I'm detecting multiple heat signatures directly ahead of us!" one of his men shouted. "I'm counting at least ten!"

_Hmph, we can handle ten._

"Alright, prepare to engage footlocks, and open fire with wide suppression chain guns on my mark," he ordered.

Multiple snaps were heard as each of the Scout Foxes activated their footlocks, an essential action for ensuring increased accuracy for their back mounted chain guns.

"Mark!" Brad commanded.

Fire lit the dense fog as multiple chain guns opened up, spitting thousands of rounds through the fog in a matter of seconds. Brad's gaze stayed on his infrared scanners, where the enemies position was marked by ten red dots. He watched as they began to disappear, first one, then three more, then the rest went down as well.

"Cease fire!" he called.

The Scout Foxes unclamped from the ground and stopped firing. The only sound was that of the chain guns, still spinning even after firing had stopped. Silence soon reclaimed the mountain, all sounds of battle fading into the fog.

Brad sighed, "Alright, let's move."

Another frantic call lit up the comm unit, "Sir, I'm detecting ten more units, no make that twenty, no make that.....they're everywhere!"

Brad watched in horror as red dots began to appear in front of his position, to the side, and behind. He counted at least fifty units before his scanners went dead.

* * *

Author Note: O.O...... Muahahahaha! My first cliff hanger! I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me what you thought of it please and thank you! And be sure to tune in next time! And be sure to Review, review, REVIEW!!! (oh by the way, I saved my computer from several viruses, so take that evil internet!) 

**  
  
**


	7. Rise

**Zoids Neo Slash Zero: Believe**

_Chapter 6: Rise_

Author Notes: Oh my frickin' God, sorry about the long ass wait. I just started first year university, so it's been hectic! Rise, rise, rise! I know I left you all with a cliff hanger, but I promise it will be resolved! Wow! A lot of reviewers! I like that! If you're waiting to see if Brad will get out of his predicament, and what Bit will do next, well this is the place! The mystery is revealed in Chapter Six: Rise.

**Zero Stalker - **Hehe, is this quick enough for ya? Keep in mind this is PG-13, so maybe not too gory okay? Thanks for dropping the review!

**Silver1** - Hey! A new face reviewing! That's great! I'm glad you like the way I wrote about the character's mindset. I agree about Brad, I'm trying to tone him down a bit (he was drunk before!). By the way, you're writing is some of the best I've seen! Thanks for reviewing!

**Mercenary Pen - **What do you mean you predicted the super weapon? I haven't had any weapon appear yet? Oh well, get ready for a big rumble! Thanks for reviewing! Oh, by the way, you inspired my CAS system, so thanks!

**BladesDeath - **Well, being that the CAS simply adds armour, no, the Ligers can't perform the Strike Laser Claw. To do that, they would have to be modified. The CAS is just to change mission profiles. Heh, yeah, even I forgot about Naomi, and I really hope I make your list! Thanks for reviewing!

**Bluefly7 - **Lol, oh the evil cliff hanger! Sorry about that, but it had to be done! Yeah, the CAS system for the Ligers is neat, but I think I would pilot a Shield Panzer because of the big guns! Thanks for the review!

Disclaimer: Don't own Zoids nor Disturbed, and listen to Rammstein's new single, Amerika! I can't wait for the new CD, Reise Reise!

**Now! **On to the story!

* * *

Bit and Krys ran back out of the caves over to where the rest of their squadron was resting. 

"What are you going to do?" Krys questioned, opening up his cockpit canopy to get some fresh air.

Dusk was approaching fast, the twin suns of Zi settling slowly behind the mountains in the distance. Long shadows were beginning to cover the land, sets of clouds moving across the sky at quick speeds, almost as if an storm was imminent.

"Well Two, you heard the passage," Bit said, "And if this one comes true like the other one, well, then we may be in for a rude surprise."

"But how do we get there?" Krys wondered.

"I'm going to contact General Winters at the base. If he gets a Whale King transport out here we should make it as night falls."

Krys grabbed his forehead, "We're actually gonna go through with this?"

Bit reached down to his comm gear, dialing up the frequency of the nearest Republic base so that he could be patched through to General Winters.

"We can't just sit on it," he said.

The Liger grumbled as the long range communicator connected to General Winters, via satellite courtesy of the Draccon area base. General Trexen Winters' grizzled face appeared on the screen, his red hair and gray eyes as intimidating as ever.

"Lieutenant Cloud, all went well I presume?" he asked.

"Almost sir," Bit began.

"Almost?" said Winters, "I don't like the sound of that."

"Well, sir, we found another inscription like the Lake Eve plaque."

Winters eyes widened visibly, "Well, that is news! What did it say?"

"Sir, I can't elaborate now, but if we don't get to Mount Iselina by nightfall something bad might happen. Something big." Bit said ominously.

General Winters narrowed his steely eyes, "What do you propose then soldier?"

"Mount Iselina is not as far from here as it is from the Draccon or Zerros bases. But if you reroute a Whale King already in transit, then we can reload and refuel while aboard and be at Iselina by night fall," Bit listed his plan.

"You're in luck," said Winters, "There are a few Whale Kings in transit between the two bases." he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I trust your judgment on this matter Lieutenant Cloud, let's just hope that something bad doesn't happen and that this is just a mistake."

"We all hope that sir," said Bit before signing off, "We all do."

The General gave him a salute before breaking the connection, leaving Bit alone for the moment with his thoughts.

**Rise**

**Throw away**

**The charade of your life**

_The champion will rise. What does it all mean?_

The Liger grumbled to him.

"What is it Liger?"

The Liger Zero growled and stamped its foot impatiently.

"Heh," Bit chuckled, "I want to go too, it looks like it's gonna be dangerous."

_I'm worried about this champion._

**Let the flame of my heart**

**Burn away**

**Your complacence tonight**

"Well?" Krys' voice broke into his thoughts, "What did he say?

"Who? The Liger?"

"No," Krys said, confusion evident in his voice, "The General."

"Oh," said Bit, laughing, "There is a Whale King en route to our position to take us towards Mount Iselina."

"Sounds good to me," Krys agreed, "I'll let the rest of the squad know."

"Good. Thanks."

"No problem lead," said Krys, "Just being a good executive officer."

"Yeah," Bit added, "But you're an X-O who fights too."

"Be that as it may, it is my job," Krys chuckled, "What do you think we'll find up there?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Bit, "But I hope it isn't anything we can't handle."

* * *

_Step, step, step._

He made his way slowly up the forest path, sounds of battle raging in the distance as he breached the depths of the fog enshrouded trees on his way up the side of the mount.

_Step, step, step._

His slow methodical pace belied the gravity behind his passage, as the urgent sounds of gunfire drew nearer to his position. His feet crunched on the ground stone path beneath him, and he glanced upwards towards his destination some ways away up the mountain.

_Step, step, step._

Treed forest gave way to the rough hewn facade of the mountain, its grizzled visage hidden from the world by the enveloping fog that was characteristic of the Iselina region. An errant rocket hit the forest edge to his left casting debris and shrapnel his way. A shard of wood lodged in his cheek just below his left eye.

_Step, step, step._

Absently, he plucked the foreign object from his cheek, not noticing the decided lack of blood that would have been leaking from the face of any normal man. His trek continued onwards, unshaken. Undeterred.

_Step, step, step._

A deep looking cave loomed ahead in the distance, unimpressed by the battle raging onwards beneath its watchful eye. His hard gaze fell across the entrance, to the blackened shadows hidden within. Still, he proceeded further.

_Step, step, step._

Enveloped in the loving embrace of the darkened cave, his journey soon found him in a long, shadowy corridor. A soft glow could be seen up in the distance, its dim colour somehow bringing some semblance of warmth to the cave.

_Step, step, step._

The light grew in brilliance the further down the corridor he got, and near its end he could make out the vaulted arches of what appeared to be an archaic antechamber; a portal to a much larger, prestigious chamber. His feet carried him closer to his goal.

_Step, step, step._

He approached a large stone door, etched with various sigils and runic signs, ancient in origin. His hand reached forward, hovering over what appeared to be a picture of a man embroiled in a battle with a large winged beast. The door shook, glowing bright in response and soon opened upwards into the ceiling. He entered the chamber.

_Step, step, step._

Three large statues sat in the middle of the antiquated chamber. Twin statues flanked the center sentinel, looming like guards over their charge, saurian teeth and claws glistening dully in the light provided.

_Step, step, step._

He reached the center statue, finally halting his arduous trek. He took in its scope, leonine fangs bared in a defiant roar, long appendages springing from its back. He reached out his hand, longing to touch the beast's cold skin. Light sprang forth from his fingers, causing the stone to begin to crack. For the first time since he came to see that he was the One, the messenger, a smile crept onto his face. Now was the time for the awakening.

_Now is the time to rise!_

* * *

Gattling fire hissed and spat throughout the forest, intermingled with the cry of outraged warriors and Zoids alike. Shapes criss-crossed the battlefield in a twisted game of red rover, one where winning at all costs was mandatory for survival. Brad cursed as one of his Scout Foxes blew apart under the sustained barrage of the many white Stealth Vipers that had sprung up out of nowhere from within the dense forest.

_This is insane...where did they come from?_

**I command you to rise**

**Wash away**

**The decay of your life**

He dodged to the right as a barrage of rockets barely missed the Fox's vitals, passing under his Zoid and detonating in the small lake next to the mountain. He step pivoted the Fox's left paw, pulling a low U-turn while training his omni-directional laser vulcan on the trio of Vipers that had fired upon him. A gentle tap of the trigger sent beams of deadly energy probing out, tagging each of the Vipers in the head, putting each to the ground, out of the battle.

**Feel the light of your eyes**

**Find the way**

**Through the darkness tonight**

**Fearing no one**

"I need some help here," came the calm voice of one of his more skilled pilots, who was currently fending off a group of six Vipers with his gattling gun in sustained fire mode, foot locks down. He set off his smoke dischargers to spoil their aim and opened fire from within the cloud. Smiling at his ingenuity, Brad bounded over to help.

"On my way," he said, opening fire as he came, the laser enhanced rounds ripping into the segmented sections of two of the Vipers. The other four were forced into submission by way of the myriad bullets being fired from the other Scout Fox's position.

"Lead look out behind you!" someone warned as he noticed another one of the snake-like Zoids approaching from the rear. He hit the button for the net gun installed in the tail of the Shadowfox, the electromagnetic net springing out and ensnaring the would be ambusher. It became entangled and immediately was wracked with spasms from the shocking effect of the net.

**Come, take me away**

**Remove the fear from my eyes**

**Feel the flame of my heart**

"Someone help me!" screamed one of his men as two of the ivory Vipers latched onto his Zoid with their teeth. Brad wheeled around, but it was too late. Strange white tendrils snaked out from the segmented sections of the Vipers' bodies, finding their way into various sections of the hapless Scout Fox. The vulpine Zoid began to shake and writhe, as if it were in agony. Then something strange happened. Sections of the Zoid where the tendrils were implanted began to turn the same white colour as the Vipers.

"What's happening! I'm losing response!" the pilot stammered frantically as his Zoid finished turning white, the last section to change being the cockpit. Now completely white, the Scout Fox shook its head vigourously as the Vipers backed away and re-entered the fray. The possessed Fox promptly ejected its pilot, sending him to crash into a stand of trees. It turned its gaze towards a stunned Brad, its orange eyes glowing with a new sort of sentience.

**Burning away**

**All conversation tonight**

**Hearing no one**

Brad barely moved in time as the now enemy Fox began to open fire on him.

_They changed it somehow!_

He dodged backwards, skipping and prancing out of the way of gattling fire, the spray of bullets ripping up the forest loam around him. He was so busy dodging he failed to notice the three Stealth Vipers creeping up on his aft sensors. It was only when one began to snake around his ankles that he registered their presence, frantically aiming his laser vulcan over his Zoid's shoulder and pegging one in the head. Unfortunately the others entangled his legs and brought him to the ground. He fought to rise up, but the fangs of the other two Vipers began to reach for his Zoid's neck.

* * *

As more and more pieces of the statue cracked and crumbled, light began to appear between the splits, blinding in radiance but also comforting in a way. A series of explosions roused his attention however, as he cast his glance angrily towards the mouth of the cave.

**Now rise**

**Turn away**

**From the shame of your life**

_They do not understand. They must be made to understand._

Pulling his hand from the leonine statue for the moment, he paced over to one of the saurian statues. His gaze fell over the feral face of the monster, its neck arched back in a silent scream. He reached out with his hands, grasping the beast around the foot, light escaping his finger tips as it had before, except the process was much faster this time. Pieces of stone flaked away, and the light faded to reveal a blue metallic surface beneath. Soon enough, the creature was revealed in its entirety, and its eyes promptly flared to life, amethyst colour glowing coldly. It threw its head back and let out a booming roar, shaking the very foundations of the cave. He approached the other statue and repeated the same process, freeing the twin beast from its granite prison. Soon he was left with the remaining statue and the two hissing and snapping saurians.

**Feel the light from my eyes**

**Offering**

**Consolation tonight**

**Fearing no one**

He turned to the twin cobalt sentinels, "Go. Go now and show the intruders our message."

The beasts regarded him for a moment before turning and stalking out of the cave, intent on the battle down below.

* * *

_This is it!_ thought Brad.

He saw a flash of gold and the severed head of one of the Vipers fell to the ground with a loud crash, rolling several meters away to rest at the feet of a new Zoid. This one was blue and had several large boosters strapped to its back. Another Zoid skidded to a stop, orange armour gleaming as the glow from its claws faded

_Is that who I think it is?_

"Bit?" came Brad's astonished voice.

"Brad?" said the voice of the lead pilot in the Fierce Lion Squadron. Only now had he noticed the downed Shadowfox, which had freed itself from the grasp of the remaining Stealth Viper.

"What are you doing here?" came his suspicious reply. "You're with the Republic, we should open fire on you."

Bit sounded surprised, "Are you kidding? You barely have a force to speak of!"

Brad took that moment to survey his remaining men. Only four had survived the onslaught of Stealth Vipers, who at the moment were being dispatched by the Fierce Lion Squadron.

Brad growled in frustration, "Bit, what do you want from here?"

Bit's eyes narrowed, "Brad I could ask you the same thing...and why are you fighting for the Empire?"

**Do you really think I want it like you do?**

Brad looked away, "I have my reasons, and as for why I'm here, we heard some rumours."

"What kind of rumours?"

Brad narrowed his eyes, "Why should I tell you Bit?"

Bit sighed, "Oh come on Brad, we were on the same team for the longest time!"

"People change Bit," said Brad, "I've changed."

"That's bullshit, and you know it," Bit said angrily.

_If you only knew, _thought Brad.

"Well, at least tell me what just happened," he said aloud.

"Fine," Brad grudgingly agreed, "We happened to be patrolling here when we were ambushed by innumerable amounts of these white Stealth Vipers."

"Interesting," said Bit.

"What?"

"We've been following leads on white Zoids all around the continent," Bit elaborated. "Was their any other strange behaviour from these Zoids?"

"Aside from them attacking out of nowhere?" Brad asked sarcastically.

"Obviously," Bit fired back.

"Well, now that you mention it, they seemed to be able to infect our Zoids and turn them against us."

Bit's eyebrows rose, "Really? Did your Zoids eject their pilots?"

"How do you know that they do that?" Brad asked.

"This confirms the rumours then," Bit concluded.

"Indeed," said Brad.

"What do you mean?"

**Now, I cannot stop this**

"I'm here because of rumours as well," Brad informed Bit, "I head up a section of special forces in the Imperial Army."

Bit chuckled, "That explains it. Of course, Brad and his multi-purpose Shadowfox would be greatly suited for this type of mission profile."

"How did you know we were here?" Brad changed the subject, tone of voice turning wary again.

"Well, there was another plaque, and-"

He was cut off by the sound of two roars. He wheeled the Schneider around in time to make out the forms of two large Zoids pacing over the hill beside the forest. In the waning light of dusk their blue armour glimmered faintly, the silhouettes of two large back mounted gun barrels becoming visible against the dark backdrop of the forest. Violet eyes glared menacingly down at them from the ridge before each let out another ear piercing shriek.

"What are those!" came Private Kaj's astonished voice.

"Cut the chatter," Bit ordered, back in the guise of squad leader.

"Lead, I think those are Crystal Saurers!" Krys Vilnen's alarmed voice chimed in.

"What? I thought they were extinct!"

Indeed, the Crystal Saurer was a Zoid that dated back to the days before the old Guylos Empire. Based off the Genosaurer, the Crystal Saurer was a nasty Zoid to deal with, it's main armament being twin back mounted advanced laser cannons. However the most devastating weapons on the Crystal Saurer included its extendible grappling claws through which electric shocks could be delivered, and its best weapon, the nose mounted twin Light Particle Cannons, which could fire twin beams of particles for devastating damage.

"Look alive Lions," Bit warned, "These two are dangerous and are packing. Avoid those grappling hooks and be sure to send out a warning when you see those particles charging up."

He turned the Schneider towards Brad, "Are you going to help?"

**Pure emotion**

**Falling from my eyes**

Brad looked to be fighting an internal battle, but he eventually conceded, "Fine, but don't expect too much of my men, we're not sacrificial lambs for you."

Bit shook his head, "Whatever."

At that moment both Saurers let out twisted shrieks and charged out of the forest towards them, boosters propelling them to insane speeds.

"They're too fast!" screamed one Scout Fox pilot who froze with terror. He paid dearly for his mistake as his Fox was caught in the head with a blast from twin 120 millimeter laser cannons. The Scout Fox hit the ground in a heap, its head a twisted mass of slagged metal.

"Lions, split up by grouping!" Bit ordered, "Twelve! Get to the forest edge and take a shot when you're clear!" Bit said, heeling the Schneider around to charge the leftmost Crystal Saurer. The saurian, seeming to sense their plan, turned its head towards the two Panzer units, pausing a moment before letting loose a twin stream of light charged particles. Caught off guard, Private Kaj's Shield Panzer was caught full in the chest, sending her Zoid hurtling into the forest.

"Twelve!" Bit hollered, "Report!"

He got no response from her downed Zoid, which he had lost sight of after it hurtled into the forest.

_Shit._

"Heads up Lions! I want Seven and Eight to protect Eleven, that's our only remaining Panzer unit." Bit ordered. "Two, you take the Shield Jagers and buzz these Saurers at close range so they can't open fire with those long range cannons."

"Gotcha Lead," said Krys' determined voice.

The four Jager units ignited their boosters, blasting off towards the first Saurer and opening fire with their impact cannons.

Bit turned his attention to the Imperial forces who were having trouble with the other Crystal Saurer. The remaining three Scout Foxes and the Shadowfox had been engaged in a dangerous dance with the Saurer's twin cannons, but it had yet to engage its Light Particle Cannons. The Saurer dodged a hail of chain gun fire, slapping one of the Foxes across the face with its segmented tail before spinning back to another and letting loose with one of its leg mounted rocket boxes. The dumb-fire rockets peppered the Scout Fox along its mid-section, leaving it vulnerable long enough to be caught with a blast from the twin laser cannons.

"Scout Nine!" Brad warned, "It's gonna use its grappling claws!"

But his warning came too late as the Fox tried to get a drop on the Saurer only to be caught in mid-leap as the saurian Zoid launched its grappling hook arms, latching on to either side of the Fox's head, yanking it to the ground. The stunned Fox could do little as the Crystal Saurer activated its electro-shock system, sending tendrils of electricity skittering down the cables attached the sides of the Fox's cockpit. The Zoid began to writhe and spark in twitches as thousands of volts of electricity coursed through its cockpit and the systems. The comm-link had been left on and the remaining warriors cringed at the electrified pilot's screams.

"Alright Schneider group," said Bit, "We deploy buster blades and come at it from each side, just like when we took out the Gordos."

Bit turned towards Brad and the remaining Scout Fox, "Can you guys discharge some smoke in the Saurer's direction to distract it?"

**You are vindicating**

Brad groaned, already angry at having lost most of his pilots, "Fine, but you better get him fast."

The two vulpine Zoids charged the metallic demon, each splitting into an opposite direction while discharging inky black clouds of smoke. The emitters belched out two ever expanding clouds, turning the dim twilight into a pitch black night.

"Now Lions!" Bit ordered, setting at a run into the smoke cloud. The remaining three Shield Schneiders behind him followed suit, charging through the smoke cloud and deploying their blades. The Saurer fired with its cannons into the cloud, doing little damage. It grew frustrated and lowered its head, spewing out twin fingers of destruction from its Light Particle Cannons. The beams cut through the cloud with a small shockwave, clearing the smoke and barely missing Bit.

"Whoah!" Bit exclaimed as he nearly had his rump singed by charged particles. But he had reached his target, and he raked his buster blades along the side of the Saurer, his mates following along either side. Bit pivoted and turned back taking another pass at the stunned Zoid.

**Liberating**

"Seven Blades Attack!"

With a loud clash, the severed head of the Crystal Saurer fell to the ground, its jaw still working in a feral attempt to bite at Bit's Zoid.

"Two report!" Bit called.

"I'm havin' a little trouble here Lead," came Krys Vilnen's strained voice.

Indeed the first Crystal Saurer had been quite a handful for the Jager units to handle. Three of the units were out of the battle already, each command system frozen by a Light Particle Beam that had passed too close to their position. The remaining Panzer was having a difficult time finding a lock as the Saurer was constantly dodging by using its high speed boosters. The other three Jagers were too busy avoiding fire to try and get a hit in on the enemy Zoid.

"Hold on two, we're coming," Bit was about to ask Brad to help when he noticed he was missing. He turned, noting the blips on his sensors that were heading up the mountain.

_Bastard!_

"Here I come Two," he said, pushing Brad's betrayal out of his mind. They charged the other Crystal Saurer, catching it off guard long enough to knock it onto its side.

"I'll finish it!" Krys said, moving in.

"No wait, it'll grappl-" but before Bit could finish, twin grappling arms shot out, catching Krys' Zoid around the midsection. The saurian Zoid delivered a quick shock, dropping the Shield Jager limply to the ground before beginning to reel it in. Bit watched in horror as the Saurer began to charge up its particle cannons. He spurred the Schneider onwards as the light built on the Crystal Saurers nose.

_I'm not going to make it!_

Before he could do anything, however, two huge beams lanced out of the forest, catching the Saurer full force in the face, causing a huge blast of charged particles to turn the night forest into a supernova.

**Saviors of my soul**

After the blinding flash subsided, Bit opened his eyes to see Krys' Zoid still intact, if only slightly scorched, and the body of the Crystal Saurer, much of its upper half melted, fall to the ground in a heap.

"It's just not a party without big guns," came the voice of Private Kaj, her Shield Panzer limping slowly out of the forest, a large hole in its side.

"Twelve, you have no idea how good it is to see that you're alright," Bit said, beaming, "And I'm sure Two agrees."

Krys would have replied if his brain would let him get over the shock of facing a charged particle cannon point at blank and surviving.

"Status report," Bit called.

"Lion Two," said Krys, finally finding his voice, "Systems toasty, but nominal."

"Three, coming back on-line."

"Lion Four, likewise."

"Lion Five, ready to dance."

"Six is go."

"Seven, ready to party."

"Lion Eight, slight damage in the drive system, but ready."

"Nine is up and running again."

"Ten, boosters primed."

"Lion Eleven, full ammo load."

"Lion Twelve, ready to blast something," said Private Kaj, sounding pleased with herself.

It was then that Bit remembered their purpose for being there. The full moon could be seen rising over the mountain, and as of yet, nothing had happened.

_Unless you count those two demons._

"Lead I got a bad feeling about this," voiced Krys.

"So do I Two, so do I."

* * *

Two Zoids paced along the mountain path, parting the fog on their way towards the higher peaks. Brad Hunter smirked as he trudged along.

_The key is to let them do the work, and you take the glory._

"Two, do you see that?" he asked his wingman.

"Yeah, it looks like there's a light up there." replied Two.

Up ahead several hundred meters there appeared to be a cave where flashes of light strobed intermittently through the night, lighting up sections of the forest for brief periods of time.

"That must be what those two Crystal Saurers were protecting," Brad surmised out loud.

"Should we check it out?" the Scout Fox pilot asked.

Brad nodded, urging his Shadowfox towards the cave. He failed to notice the full moon rising higher in the sky.

* * *

It was time. The final cracks had fallen away from the statue, revealing a beast that appeared like no other. Its radiant glow all but lit up the cave, the light so intense that it began to melt some of the stone on the ceiling. He smiled, knowing that this beast was now part of him, a messenger as well. The moon reached its highest point in the sky, allowing moonlight to flood into the cave and fight against the growing light from within. Bathed in the ethereal glow, the beasts eyes flared to life.

_Now we will rise together, to proclaim the message together._

* * *

"We have to move now!" Bit exclaimed, turning to set off up the mountain. He didn't get very far, as the ground below began to shake with tremors.

"What's goin' on!" Krys burst out.

"I think we're about to find out!" was Bit's reply.

A large blast was seen near the top of the mountain and a large glowing beast, which could only have been a Zoid, stepped out onto the platform of rock below the cave. As the glow died down, Bit got his first view of the new adversary. It's glowing white form glistened pristinely in the moonlight, a bloody red cross marking it's chest. A large horn dotted its forehead near the middle of its face, and behind it appeared to be a very thin, but very sharp blade, sharpened almost to the point of being mono-filament. There also appeared to be numerous cannons mounted to each front leg, gun barrels glinting dangerously. It opened its mouth in a roar, silver teeth looking sharper than those on any other Zoid. It then deployed two appendages on its back, energy crackling back and forth between them and shaping into the shape of wings. It flapped them experimentally for a moment and then took to the sky.

"Lead, this does not look good." Krys voice wavered a bit.

"We had better move out of here," Bit cautioned, as the flying Liger-type Zoid flew around the tip of the mountain and shot off at impossible speeds.

_Those trapped in the fog will see the great champion rise at Mount Iselina._

* * *

Author Notes: Well, that chapter is done! Ooh, pretty lights and a new Liger type...what more could you ask for? I also think the Crystal Saurers kick ass. Yes, I know that took a long while to update, but that's because I've been busy with my new school. In all actuality, it took maybe a few hours to write collectively, so there! Let me know what you thought, so REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


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